The Deck Of Cards
by Nana707
Summary: From the Rockets in Kanto to the Plasmas in Unova, the world thinks they know all of the criminal organizations. Who the world doesn't know about, however, is the organization that easily outclasses them all in reach, power, and, if I may say so, style.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

**Summary:** From the Rockets in Kanto to the Plasmas in Unova, the world thinks they know all of the criminal organizations. Who the world doesn't know about, however, is the organization that easily outclasses them all in reach, power, and, if I may say so, style.

**Warnings:** Mentions of violence and death in later chapters. Is subject to change in future.

**Author's Note**: In celebration of the New Year, I've decided to post the first two chapters of my new story. I'm taking a break from Sandra to explore an idea that has been growing at the back of my mind for a while now. While I have a rough plot planned out, I don't yet know what my updating schedule will be, so please bare with me for the moment. Lucky for you all, my dear readers, I already have the first couple chapters types out. When I run out of those, well, that's when things will become a little touch and go.

For now, I do hope that you enjoy.

~Nana

_Chapter One_

The first time I stole a Pokemon, I had been eight.

It had happened while I had been in Pokemon School, a school that children went to when wanting to learn not only about becoming a Pokemon Trainer, but also to learn in how to survive while out on your journey.

There was this boy in my class, a real snob of a boy whose parents had more money than they knew what to do with. As such, the boy got whatever he wanted, be it the newest Pokenav that had just come out, latest game, or in this particular case, a rare Pokemon. While my parents are far from poor, having to see such a spoiled child day in and day out, aiming to become a Pokemon Trainer like myself, only to watch as everything was handed to him on a silver platter so to speak, made my eight year old self angry like none other.

My snapping point had been when he had had his parents import an incredibly rare Pokemon, a Pokemon that's hard to find in its own region, much less our region Hoenn.

It had been a Dratini. A Pokemon all the way from Johto.

It was to be his starter. His _starter_! Most kids were lucky to get one of the Hoenn official starters from Professor Birch, much less a Pokemon like Dratini! I myself was looking at getting one of the more common Pokemon that could be found around town, nothing like a _Dratini_.

What really got me was that the day after he got the Pokemon, he brought it to class to show off like every spoiled, rich brat tends to do when they got something that most other's could only dream about owning. Since the Pokemon was only a baby, it easily wrapped around the boy's neck like an expensive necklace, looking around the room full of amazed students in curiosity. I had secretly wished for the Pokemon to choke the smug boy. Our teacher, a middle aged man who had once been a Trainer himself, had been just as unimpressed with the display as myself, though we looked to be the only ones.

I can't say for sure what it was that had possessed me to swipe the plain red and white Pokeball from the boy's bag when the recess bell rang. At the time, I had told myself that it was his own fault for not having taken his precious _starter_ with him, having left it in his bag instead. To an eight year's old mind, he might as well have been asking for his Pokemon to be stolen. It's not like he couldn't simply have his parents buy him another one, after all.

Looking back on it now, so many years later, I know it to be a mix of jealousness and anger, not that I'm ashamed of my action. It not for it, I wouldn't be where I am now, but I'll get to that later.

Nonetheless, the end result remains the same. While everyone had been out playing, the teacher's supervising; I had snuck back into our class room and headed over to where everyone stored their backpacks, one goal in mind.

It had been easy to find the rich boy's bag, it being the most expensive one there. It had been just as easy to find the red and while Pokeball that housed the Dratini. I slipped the minimized Pokeball into my pocket, sneaking back out of the classroom and back onto the playground, no one the wiser. At least that's what I had thought.

Despite being eight, I knew what would happen if I was caught stealing someone else's Pokemon, no matter how much I thought that they deserved it. As such, I had wondered over to where there was a small grassy field for us to play on if we wanted instead of the blacktop or jungle gym. What was nice about the grassy field was that there were a few trees and plenty of different bushes spread throughout the small field, it doubling as a place where those with a Grass-Type or Bug-Type could let their Pokemon out to relax if they wanted.

As it stood that day, many of the students surrounded the rich boy in an attempt of begging to see his newest Pokemon, there only being a small handful of students besides myself who weren't. As such, I had walked over to a rather larger bush and lay down in front of it on my stomach, trying my best to not draw attention to myself. Having slipped the Pokeball containing the Dratini into my hand just before lying down, I reached underneath the bush, pushing away leaf covered branches with one hand while keeping the other securely around my prize.

When I had reached a little ways in past the many twigs, to where I was sure no one would be able to see on the off chance that they also laid next to this particular bush, I quickly went about digging out a small hole. A hole just big enough to hold a Pokeball in.

Given the size of a shrunken Pokeball, it didn't take long to have a hole ready. Sparing only a moment to make sure no one was watching me, I reached in with my other hand and placed the Pokeball inside the newly dug hole, just as quickly patting the dirt back over the Pokeball to keep it hidden.

With the Pokeball buried, I did my best in brushing off as much dirt off my hands as possible and rolled onto my back, looking up at the sky for the remainder of the recess, trying to appear bored yet innocent. If anyone were to ask, I had been there the entire time. Besides, who was about to question one of the loners of the class?

When the bell rang some time later, calling the students back to class, I made sure to be neither the first, nor the last, to class. I sat in my normal desk, with my normal bored expression, and followed the teacher's instructions as he gave them, just as I would any other time. I hid my rush of excitement and slight tremble in my hands, they being the only change in my otherwise normal actions.

It wasn't until the end of class did the rich boy find out that his Pokemon, the one that he had been bragging about only hours ago, had gone missing from his bag.

Since there had been a Pokemon theft, we all had to stay behind to have our backpacks and pockets searched, as well as our desks. Thirty minutes later, once everyone had been searched twice, only to not have the Pokemon show up, the teacher had finally let us go, the rich boy in a real tantrum for having his Pokemon stolen from him.

I only felt a single sting of guilt before it had been crushed by watching the boy throw down his bag in anger and yell at the teacher as if it was his fault.

I had never liked my teacher as much as I did then when I watched along with the rest of the class as he told the angry boy that if he didn't want such expensive things stolen from him, he should take better care of them and not bring them to school. It was his own fault his Pokemon had been stolen.

That had shut the boy up, though did nothing for his anger. I wanted to laugh and dance in triumph.

It had been during that night, well after I was supposed to be in bed with my parents already fast asleep, that I snuck out and made the short ten minute walk to the school, careful to avoid the few others that were out and about.

Once I had reached the school, I slipped around the large building, heading towards the back where the field was kept. With there being no one on the school campus at this time of night, I had little to worry about in concerns of running into an adult, but kept as quite as I could just in case. I made it this far, I wasn't about to be caught now.

Above me, I heard the cry of a Zubat, it flying somewhere overhead. The sudden noise had made me jump; the nerves that I had managed to keep at bay coming to the front. All I wanted to do at this point was to collect my treasure and head back home. For the time being, I'd hide my prize, not knowing what else I was to do with it. At the time of the stealing, the thoughts about what I'd do with the stolen Pokemon hadn't entered my mind.

There's something to be said about being driven by anger and greed. All common sense just fly's out the window and it isn't until after the crime's done that one realizes just what they have done. This time around was no different.

Reaching the bush that hid my crime, I was quick in unburying the Dratini, clutching the Pokeball in my hands pressed against my chest, simply sitting on the grass in front of the bush, not knowing what to do next. Maybe I could pawn off the Pokemon, using the money to buy a cool starter of my own? But, who would be willing to buy such a rare Pokemon from an eight year old? That's just asking to be caught and questioned.

Maybe I could just keep the Pokemon and raise it as my own starter? No, my parents would never believe that I had gotten such a Pokemon as a Dratini as a starter on my own. Besides, I wouldn't be able to hide it from the rest of my class for long.

Well, maybe I could—

"I'm surprised that your still here, Rachel."

I jumped at the sudden voice, having to bite down on my tongue to keep from screaming out loud. I whipped around to face where the voice came from, hiding my hands behind my back, hoping beyond hope that whoever it was that was there hadn't seen the Pokeball in my hands.

When my eyes landed on the figure that had been standing behind me, I felt them widen and my brain freeze for a second at the sight of my teacher, Mr. Adams, standing before me with his arms crossed across his chest with a Zubat resting upon his shoulder.

"M-Mr. Adams. What are you doing here?" I asked weakly, doing my best not to stutter and show just how panicked I was.

I'm pretty sure that he grinned, but it was hard to be sure given the amount of light; or better, lack of.

"I wonder… Just what do you have planned for that Pokeball that you have hidden behind your back?" He asked, completely disregarding my own question for his own.

My hands clenched, palms sweating despite the cool night. I tried to take a step back, only to run into the bush that had previously been my cover.

"I don't know what you mean, sir." I said slowly, not meeting his eyes. Stupid.

"Come now, it's no use lying. I'm quite aware that you're the one who took Ashton's Dratini." At my quickened breath and panicked look, Mr. Adams spread his arms out, as if that would make him appear less threatening to an eight year old who felt like their world was about to end. "Now, now, if I was going to tell anyone, don't you think that I would have by now?"

That actually did make me pause and made me relax just enough for my mind to kick back up, though not enough for me to trust my teacher.

At my silence, Mr. Adams brought his arms back to his sides, his Zubat letting out an annoyed noise at all the movements.

"Again, I have to ask. Just what do you have planned for that Dratini? Surely you know that you can't keep it, if that's what you were hoping." He chided lightly, as if I hadn't already come to that conclusion.

"Oh course I know that." I mumbled out, now meeting his stare head on stubbornly. I was already caught, might as well play along and see just what he was planning.

He said nothing more, only raising an eyebrow in silent question. At least, that's what I thought he was doing.

"I… don't know what I'm going to do with it." I finally said, no longer able to handle the silence. Besides, what else was I to say? I really had no idea what I was going to do with a Dratini.

"That's what I thought." Mr. Adams hummed out, moving his hands behind his back much like how I had mine. "Well, then, Rachel. Answer me this; did you enjoy stealing the Dratini? Did you feel a rush, a sense of superiority, power, knowing that you managed to steal such a valuable Pokemon?" He asked slowly, drawing out his words, looking as if he already knew my answer.

I looked away, knowing that yes, yes I had felt like that, but I didn't want to admit it out loud. Doing such might as well be signing away my freedom if he planned on turning me in.

At that thought, part of my mind whispered that he hadn't yet told anyone, even though he knew that I had been the one to take the Dratini from the start. Why would he go out and tell on me now?

The other part of me begged for me to be cautious, not admit to anything that could hurt me later. Mr. Adams was quickly becoming someone that I didn't know, not being the same teacher that I had become use to over the past year. This man was a wild card, and I had to act carefully.

Again, Mr. Adams took my silence as a yes, rightfully so, and was grinning once again, not that I could see.

"Well, then, might I offer you a solution to your problem?"

I turned back towards him, though remaining stubbornly silent.

"I have this group of…friends, you could say, that deal with matters such as this. I'm sure they'd be more than willing to take in the Dratini, even offer you something for your trouble."

There was a pause on both of our ends, Mr. Adams content to letting me think, and me blinking in shock. There was actually someone who'd be willing to take in a stolen Pokemon?

"What will your friends do with the Dratini?"

"Noting bad, I can assure you of that. Chances are they'll sell it to someone who can afford to buy it. Dratini are pretty expensive after all."

I scrunched up my nose, removing my hands from behind my back to cross them over my chest, Pokeball still firmly clutched in one hand.

"You're not part of Team Rocket, are you? If so—"

"No, no, no!" Mr. Adams exclaimed, cutting me off. "Of course I'm not a part of Team Rocket! That pathetic group is _amateurs_ compared to us! No _class_, no _order_, no _talent_. They take in _anyone_, while we only accept the best of the best, the most driven to our ideals," Here, Mr. Adams paused, and I had to admit myself interested in what he was saying, "only those with potential, who could rise to greatness." He ended, slowly taking a step forward, moving slow enough for me to move or run. Mr. Adams walked a circle around me, avoiding the bush skillfully. My head turned so that I could follow his movement, eyes wary.

"And you, Rachel, show such potential. Being able to steal such a rare Pokemon with ease, being smart enough to hide it where no one would find it when looked for. You have such an excellent mind for one so young, a talent for learning no matter the subject, and not afraid to act, to fight for what you want." He stopped back in front of me, his arms back behind his back. "Oh yes, you show much potential."

I eyed my teacher with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. In the end, I was an eight year old girl who loved receiving compliments, and the ones he were giving me were ones that I didn't get all that much, and never so many at once. They made me feel… _special_.

"And what's your job in this group, Mr. Adams?" I asked, my arms loosening to where they were hanging back at my side, my head tilted to the side, giving into my curiosity. What did I have to lose?

"Why, I guess you can call me the 'Ace' of the group." He answered lightly, laughing as if what he said was suppose to be a joke. "I keep on the lookout for the potential in aspiring Trainer's, test them to see if they're what we're looking for. There's a few other jobs, but they aren't important for the moment. What _is_ important is your take on all of this." Mr. Adams bent forward slight to where he could better look me in the eye, the Zubat on his shoulder letting out another annoyed noise for the movement.

After a second pause of staring at one another down, I had to look away, giving in and letting the hand that wasn't holding onto the Pokemon grab the end of my black sweatshirt, hand trembling. My mind was a mess; part of me wanted to trust that what my teacher was saying was true. Another, smaller, part wanted me to listen to what my parents always told me to do in situations like these and run away as fast as I could, tell the police what I learned, admit that I stole the Dratini, and let everything go back to the ways things were before I went and stole my classmate's Pokemon.

But that was the thing; I was quickly finding that I _didn't_ want things to go back to how they were before. I _didn't_ want to run to the police, or admit that I had stolen a Pokemon from a boy that didn't deserve it. I loved the feeling of taking it, knowing that in a way I was getting a small amount of revenge for all the things that the boy had done and said to me in the past, even if he never learned that it was I who took his _beloved_ Pokemon. If possible, I wanted to do it again and again, feel that rush that came with taking and hiding the Dratini.

With a sharp realization, I knew what I wanted. I wanted to become a Pokemon thief, and Mr. Adams might be the one to help me in becoming one.

"Do—" I had to cough to clear my suddenly dry throat, looking back briefly at Mr. Adams before having to look at the ground between us. I tried talking again. "Do you really think that I have potential?" I whispered out, anxious for his answer. Looking back on it now, I know that Mr. Adams is a person who's very skilled with his choices of words, knowing just what to say to get someone to agree with him. A form of manipulation. Not that I resent him for it. Without it, I wouldn't be where I was now.

"Yes." I snapped my head up to look him in the eye, my own wide open. "I think you have much potential, but what's potential without proper training?" Mr. Adams was back to standing at his full height. "Would you be willing to go through training, Rachel? Would you like to be able to steal more Pokemon, rarer Pokemon? Learn the skills needed to feel that rush again, without fear of getting caught? Are you willing to commit yourself to what I can offer you? Because once you start, there's no going back." His tone was faintly ominous, not that I realized, too caught up on my whirlwind of emotions.

This time, I answered without hesitation, not caring for the risks that I might come across, or the fact that I wouldn't be able to back out. I didn't even pause to think about what my parents might say if they found out. What can I say? I was _eight_ and just told that I had great potential to me more than I was. "Yes."

Mr. Adams hummed, pleased, and turned to leave. "Well, then, come along. I have someone that I think you'll like to meet."

And I followed.

This was how at age eighteen, I, Rachel Irwin, became known as codename 'Joker', the wild card of the House of Spades in Hoenn, a Royal in our powerful court, and a general of the masses that stole and captured for the House of Spades.

Let the fun and chaos begin.

.-.-.-.-.-.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Two_

Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh. Four different Houses, four different reigns, each controlled by a different King, those of which being the four founders of the 'Deck of Cards'. Along with the leading King, there is the Queen, Jack, Ace, and Joker. These personas make up the 'Royals' of the different Houses, as well as a chain of command for those numbered Two through Ten.

The 'Deck of Cards' is, in short, an organization that does everything and anything, both legal and illegal.

On the surface, they're made up of dozens of different companies, both big and small, though not publicly connected. The companies vary, ranging from contractors, to shopping markets, to even local bakeries. Only those apart of the 'Deck' are aware of the extent of power that the four Houses hold, and even then, only the 'Royals' have a real idea of how far the stretch of control goes throughout the four reigns.

While on the surface there are only legal transactions happening, underground the 'Deck of Cards' are responsible for running the largest cross-regional Black Market, there being four major markets, one for each region, as well as smaller markets spread throughout the four regions. The areas, both large and small, are kept largely hush hush, only a selected two dozen being told each year for each region after heavy research, to either be sure that those selected wouldn't be likely tell, or there being enough blackmail found that they couldn't go to the police to rat us out.

As such, it takes quite a bit of man power and brains to keep both fronts running smoothly. While the King's are the top bosses, running the show behind the scenes, they are very rarely seen outside of the Royals, and as such it falls to the Queen's to speak for the King's. The Queen's are the one's to relay the orders to the Ace's, whom then transfers them to those they concern. They are in all aspects second in command, being the go between for the King's and the rest of the House, not to mention running a fair share of the cover businesses, be it from the background or from front and center.

The Ace's have one of the, if not _the_ hardest role in the Deck of Cards, as they hold multiple jobs to keep things running smoothly among the Royals and the Numbers. Thankfully for the Aces, like with any Royal, they are given command of their position, so have more than enough extra hands to help with their workload.

When it comes to stolen Pokemon and items, all are transferred to the Ace of the House, who then log them and then send them either to one of the markets to be sold, to a breeding facility, or to a client that specifically hired one of the Houses for an item/Pokemon. Then there are the background checks of potential members and buyer's. Added onto that, they also run said recruitment, which ended with higher leveled members of Ace's sector getting jobs that allows them to keep an eye on Trainer's or hopeful Trainers. It's because of all of these rolls that the Aces have to fill that their workforce is always the largest for any of the four Houses, second only to the Queens and Jokers.

The Jack's, compared to the Ace's, have it easy, though no less of an import job within the Deck of Cards. Whereas the Aces have the largest workforce, the Jack's have the smallest since they don't need much extra men power. Jack's are, in short, the face front of the different Houses, being the one's to go out and meet potential or interested customers. They appear for the Houses only, having nothing to do with the top fronts to decrease the chances of those businesses being connected with the Houses. Even so, the Jack's are not known for being in one place for long, seemingly always having a meeting with such-and-such, or so-and-so. There's no doubt that without the charismatic Jack's and the men and women under them, all four different Houses would have less business, making them little better than other, now absorbed, black markets, or illegal organizations. The horror!

And then, there's the Joker's. The Wild Cards of the Deck of Cards, who're charged with some of the most hands on work. While the King's and Queen's are the leaders, the Ace's the recruitment, background checkers, and in-between, the Jack's the faces that bring in customers to the seeder deals, the Joker's are the ones that go out and actually obtained the Pokemon and items, by any means necessary. Be it on their own, or leading a team of Numbers, the Joker's are the ones who steal, catch, bribe, lie, deceive, go undercover, gamble, doing anything needed to get their objective for their respective House. Because of this, we, the Jokers, have quite a large taskforce to command. Whenever we're already on a mission, be it tracking a Pokemon or stealing a prized possession, the men and women under our care are given the tasks to fill in on the missions that we're not able to take on (well, that and do everything that we simply don't want to do. They provide great motivation to work towards a promotion).

And if I may say so, we're all damn good at our jobs, too, no matter our position in our Houses. No one can stand in our way.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"There," the older man beside me whispered, his black outfit blending in with the night. A small white Spade adorned the front upper left of his long sleeved shirt, the number _10_ stitched below the elegant looking symbol. To those who understood the meaning behind the symbol and number, they'd be able to recognize the man as holding the highest position among the Number's, being just beneath the Royals. Only just below me, power and status wise.

I nodded silently, picking up where his eyes were focused, and in turn, on the two foot tall Pokemon resting a little ways farther up ahead in the cave we were in. Behind us, five other men stood and waited, not making so much as a shuffle in the otherwise quiet, dark, cave. They all knew that it would not bode well for them if they were foolish enough to act out, waking the sleeping Lairon. Their target.

Without a sound, the man beside me, the _10_, lifted a hand and made a circular motion, a signal for the five men behind us to get into position. I watched as the five moved quickly, but carefully and silently to surround the abnormally colored Pokemon, my sight tinted green thanks to my night vision goggles, goggles that the rest of the men also sported. Even with the green looking world, I knew that the sleeping Lairon before us was the one we had been looking for this past week, it being a Pokemon that differed from other's of its species for its white and blue colorings, instead of the regular silver and black.

Once they were in place, _10_ and I then moved, his Gengar gliding after off the ground next to him, he being the one who had found our objective in the first place. We stood between the men, three holding net launchers with specially made steel nets for just this sort of occasion. The other two held waiting Ultra Balls, one in each hand and ten more waiting to be used in the packs resting on their hips, waiting for the command to throw them. Gengar drifted in front of us, being unable to help himself and letting out a small crackle of a laugh that would send chills down lesser humans backs. Briefly, I share a look with _10_, the two of us nodding. He and his men were ready.

"Gengar, Will-O-Wisp," _10_ ordered lightly, keeping his eyes on the still sleeping Lairon, all those present knowing that in just seconds the real fighting would start. I stood in the background, simply watching, analyzing, grading.

Without having to be told twice, the ghost Pokemon eagerly started up the ordered attack, sending out the glowing blue balls of fire towards the unsuspecting Pokemon, all of the balls of fire hitting the Pokemon on its face. The Lairon woke with a pain induced roar, stumbling on its short legs and it tried to jump up to escape the sudden pain. While the Pokemon was confused, _10_ snapped out for those holding the net launchers to fire, the result being that the Lairon now confused, angered, in pain thanks to the burn on its face, and wrapped in three different steel nets.

The Pokemon thrashed around, though it did little help for the Pokemon, letting out Roar after Roar in its anger. Gengar let out a full blown crackle, there no longer being any reason for the Pokemon to hold back, laughing at the Lairon before it. The three men that had been responsible for launching the nets dropped the now empty guns at their feet, each now pulling out a Pokeball from their pockets, enlarging them. With a nod from their leader,_10_, the three released their own Pokemon, wasting no time in ordering the three Fire-Types to let loose their chosen fire-related move.

It took no time at all for the Lairon to weaken, between being trapped under three steel nets, having been badly burned from the still crackling Gengar, to having to suffer through fire attack after fire attack. With one last roar, the Pokemon collapsed, it panting hard as it weakly glared at the seven of us humans.

"Start capture!" _10_ barked out, leading to the two men that had yet to do anything to start throwing out the Ultra Balls, the Lairon being captured on the second Ultra Ball. With the Pokemon successfully captured, the collected Numbers, minus _10_, let out a sigh of relief before grinning at one another, two even high-fiving each other, laughing. _10_ looked at his men with apparent pride, even though he held back in their celebration.

I shook my head with an amused smile, letting out a small laugh at the scene of five fully grown men cheering at the capture of a Pokemon, though for this particular team of men, it truly was a joyous occasion. It not only signified a catch, but the passing of their team.

Turning my attention to the leader of the team, I held out a hand, Gengar going over to join in on the men's excited chatter. _10_ reached out with his own hand, shaking mine twice with a strength that could have crushed my own if he wanted.

"Congratulation, Steven. Knew you'd guys would make it." I said cheekily, grinning widely. "You and your team are now officially a High Level Capture Squad for the House of Spades."

"Thanks, Joker." Steven let slip his own grin. "We won't let you down."

I shook my head again, looking over briefly to see the five men who were picking up the used steel nets and Ultra Ball holding the Shiny Lairon, Gengar drifting back over towards his owner with his insane grin. This team would go far, of that I was sure. They had sure earned it.

"No, I don't expect that you lot will." I looked back over at Steven, giving the man a mock salute. "It was fun working with you and your team. I'm looking forward to future assignments together." I then turned towards the men, who had finished what little cleaning up there was, the three Fire-Types having already been returned. They stood in a line, standing tall and proud, though all had a smile of some degree on their faces. Much like Steven's outfit, they wore all black, the insignia of the House of Spades standing out just as proudly, three number _8'_sand two number_ 9_'s displayed under each respective crest.

"Congratulations, again, men. You lot worked hard for this. You all deserve this position." I told them seriously, calmly, instead of my normal excited and grinning way. They returned the sediment of the moment by giving me sharp salutes, even Steven at my side. "Now then, get out there and show the world just what their dealing with! For the House of Spades!" I called out, my voice echoing in the dark cave. The six men cheered after me, all calling out 'For the House of Spades!' right back.

At times like these, I really loved my job.

With one last nod at the men and Steven, I said a quiet, "Teleport," and was whisked away from the cave, and back to my apartment flat in Slateport City.

Taking off the night vision goggles, I rubbed at my face with one hand, the other setting the expensive goggle on my kitchen table. No matter how useful they were in situations like I was just in, wearing those things to long and it no longer became fun. I could just feel the imprints that they left around my eyes from being on too long.

I felt movement on my back, and I turned my head to the side just as a green head popped up over my shoulder, a red horn looking appendage sticking out the front center and back of the Pokémon's head.

"Thanks, Ralts," I spoke softly, reaching over with a hand to run the top of my Pokémon's head. Ralts let out a pleased noise at the action. Dropping my hand, I made my way over to my couch, letting my Pokemon clinging onto my back drop down first before sitting down myself. Without a moment's hesitation, she crawled onto my lap, now clinging to my front. More then use to my Pokémon's behavior, I rested one hand on her head while my other went to retrieve my Pokenav. Sliding it open, I scrolled through my contacts before stopping on one, hitting the 'call' option.

It took only three rings for the person on the other end to pick up.

"About time I'm hearing from you, Joker. Take it everything went well?"

"You know it, Ace." I said, stretching out as I talked, temporarily removing my hand from Ralts to stretch it as well, but dropped it back on Ralt's head once done much to my Pokémon's delight. "You should know by now to trust me when I say that a team has promise. It is, after all, one of my specialties."

"Yeah, yeah. Careful not to get a big head, there, Joker. You have a big enough one as it is." My ex-teacher teased with the sound of typing being heard faintly on his side. "Well, with this new team approved for lone capture of high ranked wild Pokemon, that's that much less work for you in the field. At this rate, you're well on your way to approving as many teams as the last Joker."

"Ah." My eyes closed, my head resting against the back of the couch. While I'm forever thankful that the previous Joker had taken an interest in me when Mr. Adams—Ace—began my training into the House of Spades, and in turn being taken under his wing to be trained as his replacement, I could do without the whole assigning new teams of Numbers to act as my own personal stealing and capturing army. Why I couldn't simply have kept on the teams that the previous Joker had OK'ed was beyond me, but if there was one thing I now knew, it was to never question the word of the Queen, and in turn, the King.

Ace let out a chuckle from his end, snapping me back to the present. "You sound tired, though I shouldn't be surprised. How long has it been since you last slept?"

I had to actually think about his question, not entirely sure myself. This past week had not exactly been a walk through the park. That Lairon had been one of the more difficult wild Pokemon to track, and since I had been temporarily put under Steven's command to see how he would fair as team captain, I had not been able to go out and find the Pokemon or even offer advice to Steven on how to go about it. I felt it took a little longer than I would have liked, but impressive nonetheless.

"I don't know. Maybe 30-ish hours? More than a day, I at least know that. We heard of sightings of the target Pokemon yesterday morning, and kept moving from there."

"Figured it was something like that. You've always been a little of a workaholic, Joker." A pause; Ace typing away on his end while I silently rested on mine. "Well, go get some sleep. You can give me your report and grading on Team HC-4 in two days." What a silly way to name teams; HC-4. HC for High Capture and 4 for the fourth one formed. No originality at all.

"Can do, Ace. I'm going to go curl up and sleep for the next twenty-four hours."

A dry chuckle. "You do that, Joker." And with that, Ace hung up, there being nothing else needing to be said between the two of us.

Sliding my Pokenav shut, I left it out on my coffee table, not wanting to bother with it anymore for the next day. I glanced down at the Ralts curled up against my chest, half dozed. The sight made me smile. She, like myself, hadn't gotten any sleep for a while either.

"Come on, time for bed." I whispered to my Pokemon, standing slowly and using both arms to hold my Pokemon to me, though it was not needed. With how well trained my Ralts was concerning her psychic powers, it was second nature for the both of us for her to be clinging onto me in some way or another by using said powers, virtually sticking herself to me. It's gotten to the point where I felt awkward when I didn't feel her weight resting on my back or chest, always ready at a moment's notice to teleport us away if things started going south while out on my 'missions'. About the only time she _was_ off my person was for bodily functions, changing, showering, when a mission called for it, or simply because I couldn't be seen with her while in public.

Reaching my room, net even bothering to turn on a light, I unbuckled my Pokemon belt, placing it on my dresser. Next, I slipped off my shoes, my sore feet thanking me for the slight relief. With belt and shoes off, I turned towards my queen sized bed and gently placed my Ralts on top of the covers, my Pokemon making a not so amused noise in the back of her throat at the loss of contact, but otherwise stayed silent. Quickly, I changed out of my black short-sleeved shirt, the Spades white crest on both the front upper left corner, as well as a slightly larger version on my back, near my collar, the word '_Joker_' scripted beautifully underneath both images. Next came my black cargo pants, the many pockets holding a many number of diverse items, ranging from empty Pokeballs of all sorts to a device that would allow me to breathe underwater if need be.

Now changed into a simple white tee-shirt and sleeping shorts, I climbed into bed on the other side of Ralts, snuggling under my heavenly comforter. Not even seconds later, Ralts was shuffling over to curl up against me, me lifting the fluffy blanket just enough for her to get under as well. Once both of us were comfortable, we slipped into the realm of sleep, the past week hitting us full force.

It was nice being home.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Three_

If there was one thing that I hated about what I did for a living, it had to be writing up reports. Thankfully, I didn't have to write one _every_ time I had a mission, only for when something didn't go according to plan or on special occasions. Like approving a new High Level Capture Team.

I leaned back in my chair and stretched my arms above my head, letting out a yawn. Despite having slept for more than twelve hours, I was still on the sleepy side, though I counted that drowsiness to doing nothing but typing up my report and grade for Steven and his team for the last two hours. Oh well, at least it was done. Now Ace couldn't get on my case for not having it turned in on time.

With my report out of the way, I had the rest of the day to myself, something that I didn't get often. Standing, I saved my report to the somewhat plain black flash drive, the only thing standing out on it being a white '_J_' on one side of it. Slipping the flash drive into my pocket, I absentmindedly rubbed the top of Ralts head, my Pokemon having hung onto my front while I worked.

"What do you think Ralts? Should we go out to eat today?" I asked my Pokemon as I headed to my room to change out of my sleeping clothes.

Ralts nodded into my neck. _'Hungry.'_ It was nothing more than a whisper, but it was enough for me to hear.

"I know, love, but don't worry. I'll get us some good food to eat." I cooed at my Pokemon as I set her down on top of my dresser, right next to my Pokemon belt.

Despite being a Psychic-Type Pokemon, Ralts was never one to commune via mental thoughts. Given that she was still a Ralts, it was harder for her to send out mental thoughts to me then it would have been if she were to evolve into either of her next forms. She would talk here and there, but never more than needed, which usually meant only a couple words. I didn't mind the 'drawback' of her current form; it'd be hard carrying her around on my back or chest if she was a Kirlia after all.

Besides, she didn't need to speak to actually tell me how she was feeling or communicate. It wasn't uncommon for Ralts to send pictures in place of words, or send through emotions through our bond. Both were much easier for her then sending words.

Changing quickly into a red tee-shirt that had the Spades symbol on its sleeve and blue jeans, I removed the flash drive from my sleeping shorts to my current pants, slipped on my Pokemon belt, placed my wallet and keys into my other pocket, and picked Ralts back up. My Pokemon moved to cling onto my back, her head peaking over my shoulder as I made my way out of my room and apartment. Locking my front door, I headed towards the Slateport Market.

The streets of Slateport were already busy, though I wasn't all that surprised. It was well post noon, after all. Still, I could do without all the people.

It didn't take long to reach the large outdoor Market, my apartment being only a block away. Like usual, the place was filled with people, both local and tourists. The thing about living in a city like Slateport was the amount of tourists that flock to it. Because of the beach, port, Battle Tent, Contest Hall, and open market, Slateport was one of the busier cities in Hoenn. For me, that fact was both a blessing and a curse.

The sheer amount of coming and going tourists each day made it a prime picking ground for Pokemon theft, but it was also loud and pushy. Add in those pesky girls that feel that they need to tell me how cute my Ralts is, or those anxious boys who want to fight any Pokemon they come across, and it becomes hectic to walk around during the day. I do much better at night.

Moving through the throngs of people both young and old, I made my way over to a booth that was half hidden from view by another, larger booth. Laid out on the smaller booth's table were four rows of red and white Pokeballs, ten Pokeballs to each row. Beneath each miniature Pokeball was the name of the Pokemon that it held, as well as the cost for the Pokemon. The Pokemon ranged from common, every day Pokemon that can be found nearly anywhere, to rarer Pokemon, those that are not so commonly seen in the wild. There were some missing spots, signaling that there had already been some sales today.

The man running the booth grinned at me when I walked over. His young appearance of early twenty's was both deceiving and helpful when reeling in customers, one of the main reasons why I had Ace transfer the man over into Slateport to run one of our more legal fronts within the market. The Deck of Cards holds many different rules to reduce the possibilities of getting caught or having anything linked back to them, and one such rule was to never sell stolen Pokemon to the general public. All of our open fronts that sold Pokemon were all Pokemon caught in the wild or bred _from_ stolen Pokemon, so nothing would ever show up on the radar. It was a move that not many did, because they were either not smart enough or simply didn't care to.

I liked to think that it's what sets the Deck of Cards apart others who do similar dealings. We're not _solely_ based on criminal activity, after all. We have out moments.

I returned the grin, moving to where I was standing in front of the booth. Casually slipping my hands into my pockets, I started up a conversation with the man, merely for appearance for the young girl who was looking at the different Pokeballs with wide, excited eyes.

"Sir?" The young girl spoke up, staring now up at Arthur with her wide eyes, holding out one of the minimized Pokeballs in her cupped hands. "I'd like to buy this Skitty, please." Her voice was quiet, but hopeful. I grinned at the picture she was presenting. What a cutie; wish I looked like that at her age.

Arthur smiled at the little girl gently, nodding his head. "No problem. Would you like to meet the Pokemon first?"

The girl began bouncing on her feet, mouth split open with a wide grin. "Can I really?" No longer was she so quiet, something that I laughed lightly at. Ah, to be that young again. Then again, since I was only eighteen, being that age wasn't that long ago for me.

Arthur laughed goodheartedly. "Of course! It's always best to see a Pokemon before you buy it, after all."

The little girl didn't need to be told twice, quickly enlarging the Pokeball and releasing a bright pink and cream colored cat like Pokemon with a long tail and ears. The Pokemon and human stared one another down, the girl having crouched down so that they were closer face to face. Suddenly, the Skitty let out a pleased meow-like cry, jumping into the girl's arms to be cuddled against her chest, the girl cooing over the Pokemon.

Arthur and I shared a look, both finding the sight sweet. It was for reasons like these that we did our jobs. The sight of a young child being paired up with a Pokemon that they really liked was always touching to see. It was also why Arthur was willing to stick around in one place to man this booth, even though previously he had been out in the field, catching the Pokemon and transferring them from place to place.

"So, I take it you'll be buying the little one?" Arthur asked the girl, who nodded with a wide grin still in place, the Skitty butting her nose against the girls chin to regain her attention.

Not even minutes later was the girl running off with a laugh, her new Pokemon still held in her arms, Pokeball in pocket. I shook my head in good amusement as Arthur placed the money from the girl in a heavily locked box, replacing it moments later back underneath the table.

"Rachel," Arthur greeted formally, tipping his head forward in a silent show of respect for our different positions. He was a high _7_, and someone that I've known for a few years now.

I flashed him a grin, pulling my hands out of my pockets, as well of the flash drive with my report. I tossed it to him underhand, and with practiced ease he caught it, slipping it into his own pocket. The action went unnoticed in the rush of people.

"I see your business is doing well." I motioned to the now six empty spots, watching as the older man reached over to remove the tag that held the Skitty's name and price, placing it somewhere under the table.

"I do try." He responded with a small smile. "Did you catch that Pokemon you wanted?" Did that team pass the test?

I looked over his wears, reading over all of the different Pokemon available. Huh, a Baltoy. That one was new. "Took a while, but I caught it." Passed and ready for the field.

Arthur gave a small 'hmm'. "That's good to hear. Can't wait to see some of the Pokemon you've caught recently." When do I get new Pokemon?

I smiled. "I'll have to show you them soon, then. I'm sure you'll like them." You'll be getting some soon, a good batch. Don't worry.

"Well," I stood back up, reaching up a hand to run the top of Ralts head, "I should be going. Promised to get Ralts here some food. Maybe let out the rest of my Pokemon to relax a bit on the beach."

Arthur nodded, sending a small greeting out to my Psychic Pokemon, one that was returned with a cheerful cry.

"See you later, then."

"Yeah, see yah."

With one last tip of a head on his part and a mock salute on mine, I turned to leave, heading to a small restaurant that I knew would serve my Ralts as well as myself. It, too, was run by a Number after all.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A loud ringing woke me up later during the night, making me grumble about the inhumanity of it all. Without having to ask, my Ralts used her Psychic powers to bring the ringing Pokenav off my dresser and towards me.

Thanking my Pokemon for not having me get out of my warm bed, I quickly checked to see who was calling before answering.

"Ace," I greeted flatly, collapsing back onto my soft, fluffy pillow with a huff.

"Morning, Joker!" He greeted back with a chirp. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that he knew he just woke me up. "Got your report. Good job."

I threw an arm over my eyes. "Thanks." I couldn't help the drawl. "Now what's up? Got a new assignment for me already?" At my side, Ralts let out a huff. She had been enjoying the time between our small group without any missions in the way. My cute little Pokemon was so possessive sometimes. I found it adorable.

"Yes. This time in Pacifidlog Town." The place made me remove my arm from my eyes, blinking in surprise. "The target Pokemon is a Bagon."

Sitting up now, I tilted my head to the side, confused. "What in the world is a _Bagon_ doing being raised in the middle of the ocean?"

"Meh, who knows? It's hard to say with how some human minds work." I had to agree there. I've seen more than enough of Trainers or simple owners who owned Pokemon in a terrain that was the complete opposite of their preferred habitat. "The Trainer is an older teen boy; Skylar, if our information is correct." Like it was ever wrong. Ace wouldn't stand for such a thing.

A sigh on my end. "Okay, okay. I'll head out soon. Just as I was getting use to lying about." The last bit was more to myself then Ace, but he heard nonetheless, laughing lightly much to my annoyance. "Send me the info?" I asked as I got up from bed, heading over to my closet. Better dress warm. The ocean water was cold year around, much less in late fall at night.

"Already on its way."

"Thanks. Call you when I've completed the mission." And with that, we both hung up, no more needed to be said between the two of us. We were both use to the drill by now.

Ten minutes later, I was dressed and ready to go in a full body black wetsuit, a white Spade on my back, reading over the information that Ace had sent me via fax. While it wasn't done often, since our King was rather paranoid about sending information through technology, it was quicker than having to go though someone else or meet up with him in person.

Once I had finished reading it, I sent the paper through my shredder. With Ralts clinging to my back, arms wrapped around my neck, I did one last check to make sure that I had everything that I would need. After making sure that my Pokeball belt secured around my waist, pouch clipped on the back of my belt with all my needed supplies, I was whisked away through Ralts Teleport.

We landed on one of Slateport's many beaches, but facing the direction that Pacifidlog would be found in. Since it was well into the night, no one else was out, a small relief on my part. With thanks to my near constant companion, I returned my Psychic Pokemon, knowing that for the moment being out wouldn't do either of us any good. Though not pleased, Ralts understood my plan, it having been used in the past, and went into her Pokeball without a fuss.

With Ralts returned, I replace her Pokeball with another. Letting out my chosen Pokemon, I greeted the proud Flygon before me with a smile. My Pokemon rubbed his head against the side of my face, happy to be out and ready to go. I gave a small laugh at the action, but spent a moment pampering my Pokemon. When Flygon was content that I had given him attention, he stepped back, bending down to allow me to climb onto his back. Once I was secure, he took to the sky, his wings making a 'singing' noise as we flew, our destination having been told while I was scratching between his eyes.

All there was to do for the moment was sit and wait until we reached our destination. With Flygon, though, it didn't take long for the floating city to come into view, the moon providing just enough light for Flygon and me to make it out. Given the sound my Flying-Types makes while in the air, he stopped a good distance away without having to be told, more then use to missions like these in the dead of the night.

Wordlessly, I reached for my belt, pulled off another Pokeball, and released the Pokemon inside into the dark, cold water below. I replaced the Pokeball back onto my belt once the deed was done. After years of practice, my deadly Sharpedo entered the water without even a splash, resurfacing not even moments later. His glowing red eyes stared up at me from my position on Flygon's back, waiting for me to make a move.

With my knees I nudged Flygon's sides, silently telling him to lower me to the water. As Flygon complied, my Sharpedo moved to where he was directly below Flygon, ready for me to slip off one Pokemon and onto the next. Before anything else, I reached back with a hand and zipped open the sole pouch that I had attached to my belt. First, I removed a black face mask that covered everything but my mouth and eyes. I quickly slipped it on before pulling out the second and third items in my pouch. With the small device that would allow me to breathe underwater in my mouth and goggles covering my eyes, I moved. With a smooth transition, one that took weeks to master, I slid my body off from Flygon's back and silently into the water, my wetsuit keeping me dry and relatively warm.

Moving to where I was holding onto Sharpedo's dorsal fin, I looked up at the still hovering Flygon, sharing a nod with him. He'd wait there until I returned. And with that, I used my elbow to nudge my waiting Sharpedo, communicating that I was ready to start moving. Without having to be told twice, my fearsome Pokemon sunk into the water, dragging me with him.

Mission or not, I always found it a fun experience to swim with Sharpedo. The sheer speed that he could go when needed or wanted was amazing, but he could still remain silent and undetected; a true predator. What's more, most other Water-Types tended to leave him, and in turn me, alone. Not many Water-Types were willing to go up against a Sharpedo, after all.

When my Pokemon reached directly beneath the floating town, he drew us closer to the surface, allowing me to get close enough to where I could peak my head out of the water to get a feel of where we were in concerns of the town. I couldn't help but imagine what someone would think if they just happened to be awake and glace outside to where I was, seeing a dark share emerge from the water.

Resisting a chuckle, I focused back on my work.

From where we floated, the small Pokemon Center floated roughly a dozen feet in front of us. From what my information had said, the target lived on the left of the Pokemon Center, two houses over. Doing my best to locate the house from the small amount of moon light given, I sunk back down into the water. Catching my Pokémon's attention, I pointed in the direction that we needed to go, but instead of grabbing back onto his dorsal fin, I swam beside my Pokemon.

I surfaced again when we got close, quickly counting the number of houses between this one and the Pokemon Center before nodding to myself. For a third time that night, I sunk below the water, my hands moving to grasp a Pokeball from my belt. Clicking it open, I released my Banette. My Ghost-Type looked vaguely confused as to where he was, but got over it quickly after spotting me. The fact that we were in water seemed to matter little to the widely grinning Pokemon, his sole focus staying on me.

I pointed towards the dark shape that signified where the floating house was, and much like with the rest of my Pokemon, Banette didn't need to stick around for instructions, moving through the water up towards the bottom of the house before disappearing from view.

Among my team of Pokemon, each had a special place, an ability that they would lend to me when out on my missions. Flygon was my main fighter and transportation by air, Sharpedo my sea fighter and transportation via water. Ralts, my emergency ride out when things took a turn for the worse as well as a surprise hitter when needed or angered. Banette, my scout and entry into locked buildings/homes. Kecleon, my spy and fellow thief, and then Castform, my weather conductor, allowing me near complete control of the weather.

Instead of using an expensive fancy tool after expensive fancy tool, I put together a team of Pokemon that I trained to help me in my missions, doing as good of a job, if not better, then any silly contraption. What's more, my Pokemon and I _got along_. We trusted one another, they listening to my orders without any hesitation, and I cared for them all to the point of them being nearly spoiled. I wasn't afraid to show them my love and gratitude for what they do for me, and they give it right back. Most of them had been with me for years, having retrieved them upon entrance of the House of Spades, others for two years in the very least.

We were a team, and I knew that without them, there would be no way that I'd be able to do my job as Joker as well as I have been.

Just then, my Banette came back into view, his small and dark body nearly camouflaged in the just as dark ocean. He got closer to my face, reaching over with a hand to grab at my shoulder, pulling me towards the surface. His signal that the coast was clear. Without glancing back at Sharpedo, knowing that he'd stay there to wait for me, I kicked my way to the surface, slowing rising my head out of the water to see where I was better. Satisfied, I reached up for the edge of the deck, using my arms to pull me fluidly from the water and up onto the floating deck with only the barest of noises.

Banette appeared beside me, waiting for me to start moving. We shared a look before I removed my breathing piece and goggles, replacing them back in my pouch for the moment. I nodded over at Banette, who wasted no more time in standing around, heading over to the dark house. Not even seconds later was there a near silent '_click_'-ing heard. Banette reappeared; the door opened a crack wide enough for him to squeeze through, not that he couldn't just pass through anyways.

I shared a grin with my Pokemon, moving as carefully as possible to avoid any creaking boards. Reaching the opened door, Banette went first in, me following closely behind. For the time being, I left the door opened in a crack, heading after my Pokemon as he led me to a room directly in front of where we just entered. There was a kitchen to the side, and a small living room to the other, but I paid neither any mind. All I cared about was the room where both Trainer and target slept.

Motioning my head towards the closed room, Banette went ahead and checked to make sure that my entering the small home hadn't somehow woken the man. Thankfully, the man was supposedly single, so I didn't have to worry about kids or a significant other.

My Pokémon's head popped through the door, his grin still in place, before he disappeared once again into the room. I took the signal and made my way towards the door, crouching down low as I slowing opened it just enough for me to slip through. I spared a moment to look over the sleeping man, trusting my Pokémon's word, but wanting to double check to nonetheless. Satisfied with what I saw, I made my way over to Banette, who was floating next to a large dresser.

I had to hold in a huff, seeing more than one Pokeball out. All total, there was four displayed on the dresser, two being Great Balls, one a regular red and white Pokeball, and the last a Dusk Ball. Instead of taking the chance of waking the man by checking them over one at a time with my tweaked Pokedex, I swiped all four. It nothing else, the other three could be sold off or held in storage.

With the four Pokeballs secure in my pouch, I silently exited the room, the man asleep none the wiser on what had just happened. Banette was not too far behind; being the one to relock the front door after exiting to make it seem like the ghost had been the one to steal the Pokemon. We always shared a laugh when on the news they'd say that it was a theft by a ghost, as no human could get in and out without leaving locks unlocked. I didn't know if I should feel disappointed with the law enforcements, or pity them.

Taking the chance to return Banette, I nodded my thanks to my Pokemon for once again helping me out. Putting the breathing device back into my mouth and goggles on, I slipped back into the ocean, letting myself drop once my waist was in. Sharpedo wasted no time in meeting me, allowing me to grab onto his dorsal fin before taking off. At his speed, we cleared the floating town in minutes, heading back towards my still waiting Flygon.

Breaking the surface of the water, I glanced up to find said Flygon flying in circles over the water. When he saw Sharpedo and me, he let out a quiet, happy cry, zooming over to meet me. Holding out my arms, Flygon quickly gripped them and pulled me out, twisting his body to where I was once again sitting on his back. Removing the breathing device for my mouth, I grinned into the night.

"Well done, guys. Mission complete," I complimented, stuffing the small device back into my back pouch. With a nod towards my Sharpedo, I returned him to his Pokeball next. With his Pokeball back on my belt, I nudged Flygon, my Pokemon taking off back towards the beach of Slateport. Despite my wetsuit, the cold air was getting to me, my mouth and hands very near frozen at this point.

Curling up in my warm bed sounded mighty nice at the moment. First thing first, though; a nice hot shower.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Four_

Flygon landed on top of the large building, its fifty floors looking over the city of Lilycove. Meeting us up on the roof was a single man dressed in a sharp suit, looking none too pleased with my arrival.

I grinned at him, Ralts peeking over my shoulder to get a good look.

"Hey there, Marcus! Long time no see!" I called out to him with a cheery wave, sliding off Flygon's back all the while.

Marcus gave a slight glare, eyebrow raised. I huffed, rolling my eyes. Glancing over to my still present Flygon, we both turned towards the sour man and as one, gave an overly exaggerated bow. It was something that we did every time that we met with this particular man.

"Mr. Kirwan, what a dear pleasure it is to see you again." I said in a stuffy tone with a clearly fake accent. I looked up from a bow to give him a cheeky grin. "If I had a hat on, I'd tip it, good sir." To demonstrate, I pretended to pull a hat off my bowed head and hold my hand out. Flygon was quick in copying my actions, though it was slightly harder for him as his short arms had problems reaching the top of his head. On my back, Ralts let out a giggle.

"Very amusing, Miss Irwin." Marcus drawled out, Flygon's and I taking that as our cue to stand up right again. We shared a grin before I nodded my thanks and returned him. "Mrs. LaHaie is waiting for you in her office. Shall we?" He motioned with his hand towards the only door on the roof. I simply nodded, moving over to stand next to the grouch of a man as he led me towards the exit, using a key badge to open it.

"Ya know, if I could just get my own special badge, you wouldn't have to meet me up here every time I came to visit." My tone was sickly sweet, my grin turning more devious as I made my suggestion/request.

The older man looked at me out of the corner of his eye, but remained quite as we entered one of the four elevators.

I pouted, but didn't bring the subject back up. Like before, it was more ritual that anything at this point.

Since Mrs. LaHaie's office was only one floor below the roof, it only took seconds for the elevator to open again, the two, three counting Ralts, of us headed down the wide hall towards the sole pair of doors. Marcus opened one of the doors for me, his face carefully blank as I entered before him with a skip in my step.

Entering after me, I allowed the man to walk past the empty large desk, his, and towards another pair of doors, this time knocking first, pausing five seconds, then finally opening one of the doors for me once again. I gave the man one last wave, Ralts calling out her own cheery 'good-bye', then made my way into the room, a large grin in place.

Marcus' eye twitched. Poor man; must not be getting enough sleep. I held in a snicker.

The door closing behind me I wondered over to the massive oak desk, a middle aged woman sitting behind it, her head bent over a sheet of paper with her long blonde hair framing her face. I absentmindedly brushed my own chin length black hair behind my ear.

As the woman looked up from her work, she gave a small smile, tilting her head in my direction before standing to greet me. Around her neck was a seemingly simply necklace, the thin silver chain attached to a pure silver spade, the charm being about the size on one's thumbnail. Engraved delicately on the silver spade was the number _10_.

I grinned at her, giving a mock salute as I made my way over to her large oak desk, zeroing in on the two incredibly comfortable chairs.

"Thanks for coming, Rachel," Amy greeted as I sat down in one of the offered chairs, Ralts moving to cling onto my front so that I could lean back without fear of crushing her. As my Pokemon snuggled up against my chest, she offered a shy wave at the older woman before burying her head in my neck. I took the moment to coo at her as I rubbed the top of my cute yet deceivingly powerful Pokemon. Amy shook her head in silent amusement at the scene that Ralts and I created, though was wise enough to not say anything.

I was, after all, ranked higher than her. Not to mention that Ralts wasn't afraid to act out when someone said or did something that she didn't like; even more so when among those apart of our House. Given that she was my Pokemon, one of my clear favorites, not many besides the other Royals could even complain less they wished to suffer my small Pokémon's full wrath. I wasn't about to stop her, either. Watching those fool enough to piss of my otherwise peaceful and fun loving Pokemon deserved what they got.

Besides, it provided hours of entertainment.

Without a word, Amy shuffled around the papers on her desk, moving them into one pile with a single white folder pushed towards me.

Keeping one hand on top of Ralts head, I reached over to grab the folder, flicking it open with my thumb. Reading over the first couple sentences, one of my eyebrows rose.

"Well, this is different." I murmured more to myself and Ralts then to Amy, who silently and politely leaned back in her chair, simply waiting. Ralts made a curious noise, questioning in her own way via prodding my mind with her psychic powers in what could be classified as a 'poke', wanting to know what had caused my sudden mood change. Going from laid back, go lucky, to curious and excited at the same time was enough to peak my Pokémon's own interest.

I spared a moment to grin down at my now curious Pokemon, lowering the folder enough for her to see our newest target. Ralts' head tilted to the side.

The target wasn't a Pokemon, but instead that of an expensive, not to mention ancient, looking vase. It's blue paint looked faded, the swirling red pattern light in some places, and dark in others. While there were some small chips here and there, it looked otherwise to be in remarkable condition. It wouldn't be the first time that I had been sent out to 'retrieve' an item instead of a Pokemon, but it _would_ be the first time that I had been ordered to steal from _ourselves_.

The vase in question was proudly on display in Amy LaHaie's front lobby after all, the same woman whose office I was in at the moment, public owner of one of the King's many business fronts.

Besides the small picture, there was an additional sheet of paper. I knew without having to read it that it'd be my mission brief. Thankfully, it was short and to the point. Ace was like that in such situations as these. He had so much on his plate at one time that it wasn't uncommon for him to give only the basics when possible, in the firm belief that if those performing the mission needed more information on what he considered an easy mission, then they didn't deserve the privilege to call themselves members of the House of Spades. Harsh? Maybe, but it got the job done. If it was me in his position, I'd no doubt do the same.

I glanced up from the picture and information, looking over Amy to gage her reaction to my mission. I would be stealing from 'her' company, after all. She raised an eyebrow in response to my silent question. We exchanged small smiles as she tilted her head in my and Ralts direction. Good. It wasn't like she could do anything to stop me, as that would be going against our King, but that didn't mean she couldn't express her feelings other ways.

With a quick 'thanks', I stood from my seat, the folder returned to Amy with the sheet of paper and picture safely stashed away in one of my many cargo pants pockets. Amy stood along with me, offering me a pleasant day as I gave the woman a mock salute.

Walking out of her office, I had the immense pleasure of meeting back up with Marcus, the older man looking down at me with a blank face. With a skip in my step, I followed him back up to the roof of the building, Ralts once again clinging onto my back. Giving the sour Marcus a just a cheerful good bye as Amy, much to his displeasure, I called out my Flygon. While I could have just had Ralts use Teleport as my form of transportation, no matter how powerful my small Pokemon was, using her psychic powers to go from one point in the Hoenn region to another tired her out quickly if used more than a few times a day. Hence, she only does such during emergencies or at times when it would simplify things.

Like when deep in a cave, on top of a mountain, or Flygon was wounded or to tired. Basically, whenever there was no other option _but_ to use her Teleport.

With one last wave at the already walking away Marcus, Flygon took on, the three of us flying over the massive city in seconds. Ah, the speed and power of a Flygon. If I say so myself, stealing then keeping the then Vibrava as my own was one of the smarter moves on my part. Thankfully, the Queen, and in turn the King, didn't mind such an act, the higher ups usually rewarded with both money and Pokemon if they wished. Never let it be said that the Deck of Cards, no matter the House, doesn't care for its members, no matter the rank. Some just more than others…

"To Fortree, Flygon." I called out to my Pokemon, looking down at the city sprawled out below. Flygon let out a positive cry, going from lazily flying over the city in circles, to zooming towards the outskirts of the city and towards Fortree City. Even though I had a few days from today to when I had to turn in the vase, it was best to not remain in the city, but instead head towards a place where an alibi could be made on the extreme off chance that the crime was linked back to me. It hadn't happened yet, and I was hoping that it never would, like the previous (and first for the Spades) Joker had managed to do. The man had been able to go nearly thirty years without being suspected as the thief he was before passing the job onto me. It was something that I was determined to match, it not for longer. Since I had only been the Spade's Joker for only two years, though, I still had quite a ways to go to match his record.

But if there was one thing that my mentor taught me, it was to always be prepared for the unexpected. Always think ahead, no matter how simply the crime seemed. There was always the chance that _something_ could go wrong, be it tripping a sensor or having someone walk in on you during your theft.

It was advice that I took to heart. I wasn't about to be the reason that my House got exposed, even if it was something as small as being seen if I could help it.

At Flygon's speed, it took only twenty minutes to get to Fortree City, the city built in the trees. Having been to the peculiar city in the past, both on duty and off, I knew my way around. As in, I knew who was a Spade, who to avoid, and who didn't belong.

First thing first, I checked into the Pokemon Center for a room, though I kept my Pokemon to myself. Even though I knew that the Nurse Joy wouldn't be able to tell that two of my Pokemon were stolen thanks to the hard work from our teams of scientists, I felt safer with them sticking with me. Besides, it wasn't as if I couldn't heal them myself if I needed to. Being a part of a criminal organization that liked to steal Pokemon made learning how to heal said stolen Pokemon without aid of a Pokemon Center a major requirement. It wouldn't do to go through all that effort to steal a Pokemon, get away with it, only to be caught before the previous Trainer's I.D. could be removed from the Pokeball.

I wasn't the only one who preferred to heal their Pokemon on their own, either. After a certain point, it simply became a habit to avoid giving them to Nurse Joys for most of the men and women in m division. Only during emergencies did I, and others, willingly hand over our Pokemon to be healed by others outside the Deck of Cards.

Were we paranoid? Most likely; but in our chosen profession, we couldn't exactly risk it any other way. We can't be called paranoid where there were people actually after us, anyways.

Making a visit to my temporary room, I took the moment to call up Ace, Ralts sitting on my lap as I lounged on the room's offered bed. I grinned down at my Pokemon as she played with the remote for the small T.V. in the room. She gave a joyous laugh as she managed to turn it on, quickly turning her attention from the remote to the playing T.V.

"-ker? Helloooo. Anyone there?"

I blinked, focusing back on the Pokenav in hand, or more accurately, one increasingly annoyed Ace.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. Got distracted there for a second." Ralts spared a moment to grin up at me before turning back to the T.V. which was playing a cooking show. "Anyways, I just got done talking to Amy."

"Ah. Good to hear." There was a pause, one in which I used to pull out my latest mission objective from my pocket. "I take it then that you know what to do?"

"Yep," I said, popping the 'p'. "These sorts of assignments are by far the easiest."

A small chuckle on his end, to which I grinned at.

"I figured you'd like it. Besides, you haven't appointed a high enough team to do such assignments in your place yet." It wasn't an accusing tone, but it might as well have been.

I gave a weak laugh, using my free hand to rub the back of my neck as I winced at his tone. "Point…" Damn, I really needed to fix that soon. Michael and his team were due for a promotion, anyways.

Thankfully, Ace dropped the subject, moving on to say that the client for the Bagon was more than pleased. The other Pokemon that I had managed to 'catch' had already been 'renamed' (code word for having the previous Trainer's I.D. erased and replaced), cataloged, and waiting further placement. This really meant being either kept in storage until a future client on the shadier side of our business wanted one of them, could be used in one of the Deck's breeding programs, or given to a member as a reward for their work.

Unlike when home, where I had at least the thought of being safe to talk about what I want (there were so many security programs installed and hidden throughout it that it was crazy), there was no such luck when out and about. It was always preferred to talk in 'code' when out in public, no matter how annoying it was to use.

With nothing else to talk about, we said our good-byes with a promise on my end to call once I completed my assignment, as always.

Tossing my Pokenav to the end of my bed, I leaned back against my pillow, Ralts moving to sit on my stomach, still watching the cooking channel. I grinned. Knowing my Pokemon, by the time that we finished this mission and got back home, she'd be asking to try her hand at cooking. That could be either a lot of fun, or really, really bad.

Shaking my head lightly, I closed my eyes. Might as well get some sleep. After all, it was still day light.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I stared at the Pokemon standing/floating before me. Of my six, there were four of them present. As always, Ralts was clinging to my back, her head peaking over my shoulder to stare down at the other three.

Right in front of me stood my very first Pokemon, a gift from the then Joker when I officially joined the Spades and became his apprentice. My faithful Kecleon looked up at me with an impish grin, his body swaying back and forth as he waited for my instructions. He knew what lay ahead, and, as always, was looking forward to using his unique ability in helping me out. Between his ability to blend in and climb walls and ceilings, not to mention his fighting skill when needed, he was not only a core member of my team, but one that I wouldn't trade for the world.

My crackling Banette floated next to Kecleon, tilted at an angle that simply brought his zippered mouth and glowing red eyes all that much closer. He, too, knew that he would be having fun tonight and much like my first Pokemon, could hardly wait.

Compared to my other Pokemon, minus Ralts, my Castform was the second most innocent looking Pokemon in my group. With her constant peaceful smile seemingly always in place and kind looking eyes, one would never guess that she played a lead role in my job. If not for her control over all weather to some degree, a skill which had dramatically increased from the time that I had gained custody over her nearly two years ago, the cover of night would be all that I had. With her, though, I could have anything from a severe thunder storm, sudden snow storm, or even a sandstorm to add coverage to my missions.

That, and the look on people's faces in the different Houses when they find out that she could create a blizzard, avalanche, or a drought with seemingly little effort was always priceless. I swear, despite her angelic appearance, my Castform was a prideful one. Sometimes I feared that my Banette's attitude had rubbed off a little _too_ much, but then again, who am I to complain?

Without wasting any more time, I told my plan of action to my Pokemon, one that we had used before in the past when we were charged with stealing an item instead of a Pokemon. Despite what some may think, it was usually incredibly harder to steal an inanimate object then a living one.

Who knew? We were lucky this time around since it was from one of our own, so the security wouldn't be nearly as high as it normally would have been. It would be, if everything went right, an in-and-our mission that'd only take a couple minutes.

"Castform, I'll be needing you to whip up a nice thunder storm for me. Just enough to keep the people inside for the night." My floating Pokemon let out a happy cry, dancing in the air before making her way out of the deserted building that we had taken refuge in for the moment. There was a pause, a moment in which nothing happened. Then, the small amount of light that the moon gave off disappeared. Seconds after, the low roar of thunder sounded, growing louder by the minute. With the lightning soon following, the rain began to fall, growing in intensity by the second. In a matter of minutes, a full fledged thunder storm surrounded the large town, driving those out to seek shelter.

I grinned, silently thanking my Pokemon. Only those insane would be venturing outside tonight.

"Now then. Banette," I turned my attention towards my Ghost-Type, to which he leaned in closer, his snickering barley heard over the growing thunder storm, "I'll need you to go ahead first to scout out the area. Make sure that the coast is clear and take out the power. Don't need their cameras catching sight of us. While you're at it, see if you can darken the surrounding buildings. Got it?" Banette nodded, letting out one last laugh before disappearing into the night. With the powerful thunderstorm from Castform, the sudden loss of power in certain parts of town would be written off. There would no doubt be some investigation into the fact that the vase would be gone on the same night of a sudden power outage, but I wasn't too worried about that.

With Banette gone, I then turned towards Kecleon, who continued to sway back and forth in an almost dance like form.

"Now then, you'll be grabbing the target. Be careful, though. This vase is old, we can't afford to manhandle it too much, 'kay?" Kecleon simply nodded, moving over to stand at my side, grabbing hold of my pants leg. Turning my head to look at Ralts out of the corner of my eye, I gave the last of my present team instructions, even though I knew that with the amount of years we've been doing this together they were hardly needed.

"You'll need to be the look out. Use your Future Sight to make sure no one will stumble across us. Also, I'll be needing you to lift the glass case with a Psychic, just long enough for Kecleon to grab the vase." In response, Ralts sent through her feeling of confidence through our link, to which I grinned.

"Good. Now, let's be fast, but no less careful. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can go and get some sleep."

With the plan ready, all that was left was for Banette to come back. As we waited, Castform drifted back in through the still open window, now in her rain form. I greeted my rain-drop looking Pokemon with a grin, nodding my head towards her in thanks. Just as I finished returning my cheery Pokemon, Banette reappeared, snickering.

I looked him over with an amused grin, my Ghost-Type floating towards me, red eyes positively _glowing_ with mischief.

"Take it you had fun?" I asked with a lifted eyebrow, already knowing the answer as my Pokemon let out another snicker, grabbing hold of my opposite pants leg of Kecleon. "Good to hear. Now, if you would be so kind as to use Shadow Sneak?" I requested of my Pokemon, to which his already grinning zipped mouth grew wider. Without having to ask twice, Banette used the move asked of him, bringing the four of us through a shadow.

Within seconds, instead of being inside of an empty building, we were inside the front lobby of Amy's company building, behind the reception desk. Even with the power out and security cameras off, neither I nor my Pokemon made a sound as they quickly and next to effortlessly went through their designated jobs without having to be provoked.

Ralts wasted no time in seeking out the target, not having to be shown since she had seen it with me. Without warning, the glass case that had been protecting the ancient vase was surrounded in a light pink glow, it then being lifted into the air so that the vase was free. At my side Kecleon zeroed in on the vase, and as soon as the glass case was lifted, shot out his long tongue, wrapping it around the vase. While Kecleon was reeling in his catch, Ralts replaced the glass case, her part of the theft done.

I grabbed the targeted vase from Kecleon's tongue grip, to which Banette wasted no more time in once again seemingly bringing the shadows beneath us to life, having the four of us sink into the shadows, back to safety.

Within minutes, our mission was complete.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Five_

"So, I got a question for you," started Anthony, a lower level number in Ace's division, two days later.

"Hmm?" I had my focus split between the younger boy sitting across from me and the paper in my hand. My theft of the vase had made the front page, and I always loved reading what the reporters had to say about them. Some were rather humorous. Absentmindedly, I reached up to scratch at the dark brown wig covering my head. Itchy things, wigs.

Currently we were in a rather nice diner, known for its easy going atmosphere, pleasant waiters and waitresses, and one hell of a steak. Besides the two of us, there were only eight other customers, it being too early for the morning rush to have started.

"Well, why don't you do all of your… jobs… like this last one?" He asked quietly, barley motioning with one hand to the paper in my grasp.

I looked up briefly from the paper, raising an eyebrow at the fourteen year old. Having only been with the Spades for little under a year now, being classified as a _3_ on the number scale, I wasn't fazed by his way of thinking. If he was to go up in the ranks, though, he'd have to start thinking more like one from the Deck of Cards.

Might as well do a bit of teaching then, to quicken the process. Having more high numbers meant less work for me and the other Royals, after all. Ace would no doubt appreciate it if I took the time to school one of his boys, also.

Folding the paper, I set it down to give the boy my full attention. He sat up straighter, hands folded on the table in front of him. Good. There was one point in his favor.

"Tell me, if you were a member of the police force sent out to catch a robber who was known for doing the same thing over and over again, what would you do?"

He furrowed his eyebrows as he thought through my question, head tilted downwards just the slightest.

"Well, if they're known for doing the same thing over and over again, I'd plan a trap from them. Set them up." He said slowly, as if afraid that I'd not agree. Instead of responding, I motioned for a waiter with my hand. It only took a few seconds for the man to come over, take my order, and leave again, but it was long enough for Anthony to start fidgeting.

"Very good." I said at last in a drawl. Anthony visibly relaxed at my words, making me smile. "Now then, did that answer your question, or do I need to explain further?"

He frowned lightly, but shook his head negative. Hopefully he truly did understand, otherwise I'd be rather disappointed with the youth. Forget the fact that I was only four years older than him.

If anything, I was doing young Anthony a favor. The boy would have to learn that not everything would be spelt out for him when asked, just as well as learning to think outside the box. Besides, where would be the fun if I just answered his question, not making his think for it a little bit?

I gave a smirk that had him looking away, going silent as the waiter came back with my vanilla shake. I got a few weird looks from the other customers for ordering such so early in the morning, but I paid them no mind. Licking my lips, I reached for a spoon, silently missing the weight of my Ralts on my back as I took the first bite. It was one of those few times where it was better if I wasn't seen with my Psychic Pokemon.

The next ten minutes was spent in silence, with me eating my milkshake and Anthony awkwardly sitting across from me. If he got bored or annoyed with waiting for me to finish, he didn't say anything. Another point in his favor. That whole saying 'patience is a virtue' was quite true in our line of work, no matter the division that they were in. It was good that he was learning such _now_ instead of later. A bright future was ahead of him if he continued on the path he was forming.

As soon as the waiter come back to take away my then empty glass, I gave the younger boy a smirk of a smile, eyes half lidded. This time around, he stubbornly met and kept my gaze, refusing to look away. My smile grew.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my flash drive, sliding it over to Anthony who was quick in taking it. He glanced around the room before sliding it into his pocket, making me mentally shake my head. Not so good. Minus one.

"Well, then." I said with a fake smile, not that he noticed. "I dare say that we're done here. Do say hello to Ace for me, 'kay?" I stood, pulling out my wallet to cover my order, plus tip. After a second's hesitation, I grabbed up the newspaper as well. No doubt my Pokemon would like to hear what they had to say about this time, 'they' being the police and reporters.

Anthony gave a nod, standing as well. After giving him one of my famous mock salutes, I left the small diner. I would have to call up Ace and tell him that he might want to start putting dear Anthony on more missions and gage how he handled them. If today was any idea, he might have it in him to go far, if first given a lecture on how to be a bit less obvious at times.

Well, that was a thought for another time. At the moment, I had parents to visit.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It took a good twenty minutes to make it to where my parents were by foot. By the time that I arrived, I was more than ready to leave the city that had been my home at one point. It wasn't that I didn't like the place; after all, Rustboro was a nice city. It was just the memories that the city brought that I could have done without.

A lot had changed these past few years, after all. Most, given, was for the better, but some; well, some I wished had never happened.

My parent's deaths were one of those things.

As I stood before their graves, I couldn't help but get caught up in my memories. How my mom would always cook breakfast for me every morning, no matter what so that I'd not have to go to school on an empty stomach. Or how my dad would let me play with his Pokemon whenever I wanted, always watching with a smile. Memories that were half forgotten came back with a vengeance, making my eyes sting and chest hurt. I felt my throat start to close up from trying to hold in my cries. Even after eight years, I still couldn't look at their graves without wanting nothing more than to start bawling like a child. I might be eighteen, but that didn't mean that I didn't miss them.

It had been a freak accident, the police had said to me. It wasn't supposed to happen, the train having been top of the line, and yet, it still did. The 'top of the line' train that my parent's and dozens of others had been riding had somehow derailed around a too sharp turn, crashing into a blazing fire. The event had left hundreds dead, my parents among them.

A freak accident. Promises that it'd never happen again. Empty words to a child that had lost what little blood family she'd had left. My discontent of the police started that day, growing over time into the indifference that I held for them today. As far as I was concerned, the police is nothing more than an adult putting on an outfit and pretending to hold power, only to be incapable to actually do anything more than run around in circles.

If not for the House of Spades, if not for Ace, or the previous Joker, I don't know what would have happened to me after that. And for that, I was always going to be grateful to those that I now call family. I would serve the House until the day I died.

They were all I had left.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I returned home late that night, having taken a plane. I hadn't brought any of my Pokemon with me. No matter how much I loved them all, I just couldn't bring myself to take them with me to visit my parent's graves. Ralts, for one, wouldn't have been able to handle my emotions if I did bring her. She was never one for great sadness or guilt. Both were emotions that I had more than enough of, and then some.

No, it was better that I did it alone.

But now, now I was heading home. Back to my Pokemon, to my apartment, to my job. To my life. If my parents couldn't live, then I would live enough for the three of us. They might not have approved of my line of work, but that was a thought that I had refused to think about since I had first agreed to training.

I had to shake my head to clear the thoughts from my mind. Now was not the time to be thinking of the past. I had allowed myself more than enough only hours ago. Without meaning too, I had spent a little over two hours at the graves of my parents, simply reliving the past. I didn't leave my Pokemon behind only to come home in the exact mood that I had been wanting them to avoid seeing.

Unlocking my door, I was bombarded by my Pokemon who I had left out. Namely Ralts, Kecleon, Castform, and Banette. Flygon was too big to let out in my house, and I didn't have the proper placement for Sharpedo to roam freely (though I was working on that). I doubted that he would have liked being confined to my bathtub, after all.

I laughed as my Pokemon gathered around me, Ralts already clutching to me with Banette and Castform floating in front of me, Kecleon down at my side, gripping onto my pants leg.

"Hello, my loves," I cooed at them, reaching out with one hand to pat Castform Ralts with my other. They all responded in their own way, making my smile widen. "Come on then, you guys, we have work to do."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I was laid out on my back, arms acting as a pillow behind my head as I waited for the small group of new recruits to arrive. Ralts lay curled up on my chest, having fallen asleep during the wait. Somewhere off behind us, hidden from view by the overgrown forests many trees, was my Flygon, no doubt having found a spot to sunbath in. If anyone could find a patch of sunlight in an otherwise darkened forest, it would be Flygon.

The sound of labored breathing and heavy footsteps first caught my attention, dragging me out of my daydream of a nice dip in some hot springs. A trip to Lavaridge might have to be in my future; it's been much too long since I've last been able to have a good soak in their hot springs.

When the noise could no longer be ignored, I cracked open an eye to have a look at the Spade's newest recruits. Like I had expected to find, I saw a group of five standing a little ways from me, all looking exhausted but doing their best to hind it. Of the five, two were female, the rest males. The oldest looked around twelve, the youngest no older than ten. Most of the time the recruitment age was young, those chosen being handpicked by _10_'s, or on rare occasions, by Ace himself, so that they could be molded and trained from the ground up. For the recruits that were any older than sixteen, they were tested for a general skill set, and then went from there. They were generally the ones who put up more of a fight in placed in my division, not liking the thought of their superior being just eighteen. Well, at least until Ralts or Banette 'plays' with them. Then they're only too happy to follow directions.

The small group, all having a shiny _2_ pinned to the top right corner of their shirts, stared at me wide eyed, to which I gave them a sly grin, not yet bothering to sit up. I was rather comfortable, thank you very much, and I didn't want to jostle Ralts until I absolute had to. She got a little cranky when her naps were disturbed.

"Well, hello there. Nice to finally see you lot," I said lightly, moving one arm to check my watch. "And only thirteen minutes late."

A few of them winced at the time reminder, the other's opening their mouth to no doubt start giving flimsy excuses. It was always the same thing every time I was put in charge of leading a group of new recruits through their first field mission. I swear, the moment that I was done with this group, I was going to start looking for someone to take over this particular task. Maybe a nice _6_ or _7_. If I had to, I'd even settle for a _5_.

I waggled my finger at them, those that had their mouth open shutting them with a _click_. I gave another sly grin, finally moving to sit up. Ralts squirmed, her small hands clutching onto my shirt with a few choice grumbles that I just _knew_ were insults. Her slight annoyance at being woken was sent through our bond, to which I was quick in soothing away by wrapping my arms around her to hold her against me, sending pleasant emotions back down our bond to her.

She gave one last displeased grumble, but silenced after that and went back to dozing. I gave her sleeping form an amused smile before turning back to the group of five before me, only the oldest looking of the lot managing to not look surprised.

I gave him a grin, my eyes half open. He was quick in turning his head downwards, his face reddening. If nothing else, the new recruits were always fun to play with.

"Now, then, as you may or may not know, but I do hope that you _do_, I'm the Joker of the Spades." I paused a moment, the five faces before me looking at me with wide eyes as they tried to memorize every word that I said. Good. "You lot may address me as such, though when in public, you are to call me Justine. Following along so far?" Only the higher Numbers could call me by my real name. Well, then and the other Royals.

They all nodded, standing as straight as they could, eyes still wide. Grinning, I crossed my legs, and suddenly pointed to the shortest one of the group, who also happened to look like the youngest.

"You, girl! Quick, tell me why you can't call me by Joker when around others!" I commanded, my grin slipping for a more intense look, eyes narrowed at the suddenly shaking girl.

"B-because we aren't allowed to let anyone know about the Deck of Cards!" She started off unsure and with a squeak, but by the end strong and sure.

My grin was once more in place, my eyes no longer narrowed. "Very good," I practically purred out, making the young girl flush and puff out her non-existent chest in pride. "I'm glad at least one of you is smart. I can only hope that the rest of you lot are as well." The other four all frowned in determination, some sending the youngest a slight glare for the attention I gave her.

My grin turned sly, my head tilted to the side just slightly. Good. Very good. At this rate, they wouldn't need much more prodding.

"Now then," I started, slowly standing, doing my best to not agitate Ralts, "you lot are here to try your hand at learning field work, something that falls partly under my jurisdiction in the Spades." Some looked slightly confused at my use of the word, 'jurisdiction', but I didn't pause to explain it to them. They'd find out soon enough. "As such, it's my job to tell and show you just what that means. If, by the end of my little lesson, you find that you don't like working field, then you still have the chance to change positions." Now standing at my full height, I looked the five over one by one more carefully, silently picking out who would end up wanting to change and who would want to stick with field. After so long, one learns what to look for in the new recruits to tell what they would flourish the best in.

That wasn't to say that we would assign them based off looks alone, hence allowing them to try their hand at the different positions before committing, but for those of us who had been a part of the Deck of Cards for a few years or more, we just _knew_. Then there were times when the young recruit would surprise up, going in the complete opposite direction than we thought they would.

And if some of the higher ups made bets… well, what's wrong with a little gamble every once in a while?

Three wilted under my intense stare, but the other two held strong. I gave those two silent props, and added a single point.

"So," I started, making a few of them jump, making my eyes positively _light_ with glee, "who wants to guess just what we're doing here, hmm? Just what kind of value can the Spades obtain from sending you lot into the Petalburg Woods? Any guesses?" Like I had hoped, every one of the five raised their hands, wanting to be the next one to receive my 'praise'. If my grin got a little cruel around the edges, none of them noticed. "You, boy, go for it," I said, pointing at one of the boys who looked to be about eleven, _maybe_ twelve.

"It's so we can prove ourselves by catching a wild Pokemon." He said confidently, his chest puffed out. I stared blankly at him. He began to fidget, his chest no longer inflated by false pride. I blinked and turned to the boy standing next to him, raising an eyebrow. Thankful for him, he caught onto my look and tried his hand at answering correctly.

"So that we can get an idea of doing field work?" He questioned, more and answered, and I let out a sigh. Shaking my head, I looked over the last three, but none of them made eye contact.

"Tell me this, then. Where is the first Gym located?" The five shyly met my gaze, and I ended up pointing at the only one of the lot that I hadn't yet called upon. He fidgeted, but answered.

"Petalburg…?" He, too, questioned more than answered, but I was willing to take it.

"Correct." He gave a sigh of relief, the other's looking slighted, not that I paid them any mind. "Now, what do you think that fresh Trainer's do when they lose match after match against Roxanne?"

Hesitantly, the only other girl of the group raised her hand. I nodded at her.

"They…give up?"

I gave the girl a large grin, surprising her and the others. "Yes, very good! Nine times out of ten, when brand new Trainers fail to win against Roxanne within five battles, they simply give up being a Trainer. Now then, what do you lot think happens to all of those Starter Pokemon? All those Mudkips, Treeckos, and Torchics?"

The boy who had first guessed wrong eyes lit up, en excited look overcoming his face. "They leave them behind!" He blurted out as fast as he could, as if afraid that someone else would beat him to it. I gave him a sharp look for his outburst, to which he ducked his head, but nodded nonetheless.

"Correct you are. A great deal of the time, those Trainers end up abandoning their Starters, not wanting a reminder of their failed journey. So this forest, and the surrounding area, becomes the new home to all those Starters, when we can then pick them up and take them in." I gave the five before me a wide smile, their eyes once more trained on me and wide. "That's where you all come in. It's going to be your job to go out and find as many Starters as you can, capturing them in the Pokeballs that I'm going to be providing you. Understand now?"

They all nodded rapidly, all ready to prove themselves to me. I grinned, my eyes falling half shut in pleasure.

"Good," I said, turning to the side to get to my half forgotten bag. Motioning to it with one hand, I continued talking. "Inside my bag there are five smaller bags, full of shrunken Pokeballs. All of you got a Pokemon before coming out here, right?" Five nods from them. "That's going to be the Pokemon that you will use when capturing the Starters. Now will be a good time to get use to working with whatever Pokemon is assigned to you until the time comes that you are able to pick out your permanent Pokemon companion that will accompany you from any future missions." Here, I gave my sly grin as the five new recruits shuffled over to my bag to get their bag full of Pokeballs. "Who knows, you might even be able to keep one of the Starters if you impress me enough."

Like I hoped would happen, all of their heads snapped up and over to look at me, all of their eyes impossibly wide and some of their mouths even hanging open. I just gave them another grin before bringing a hand to my mouth, giving a sharp whistle, and waited those few seconds before Flygon was coming to meet me at his high speed. The group of five was murmuring in amazement as I climbed on Flygon's back, Ralts finally waking up enough to hold onto me via Psychic powers. I gave the group a wave, and called down to them one just as Flygon was beginning to rise into the air. I spared a glance at the backpack, but mentally shrugged. Not like I didn't have more where those came from, and there was nothing inside that I needed.

"You lot have two hours before I return! Good luck and happy hunting!"

And with that, Flygon was off, zipping upwards and breaking through the tree's top, flying up high enough to where we could look over the entire Petalburg Woods. I had Flygon hover, looking down at where we had just come from.

"Bet you a sundae that they get into a fight with each other," I called out to my Pokemon. Flygon cried out his agreement, Ralts letting out a laugh and her amusement through our bond.

'_Sundae!'_ She whispered into my mind, but it was more than enough for me to get her meaning. Laughing myself, I nudged Flygon.

"To Petalburg, then! Let's just get the sundaes now in advance pay!"

Flygon let out a very manly squeal of a cry, turning around in air faster than I could blink, and in seconds we were on our way to said city. I was surprised I didn't get whiplash. Never get in Flygon's way if there was a sundae involved.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

We were once again drifting over the Petalburg Woods, stomachs full and sweet teeth satisfied. Ralts was hanging off my back, looking over my shoulder down at the medium sprawl of woods below us. The two hours were just about up, and I was trying to decide just where I was going to have Flygon drop me off at.

Eventually, with only minutes remaining on my self-proclaimed time limit, I had Flygon land me in the same general area as before, having then told my Pokemon to go and work off his sundae. He grumbled in reply, but did as I said, taking back to the sky with one last affectionate head nudge.

Since Ralts was awake this time around, I had her help me in trying to find the new recruits, silently wondering if they had managed to get lost. When Ralts thought that she found one, I had he go and bring them back to me, my small Pokemon jumping off my back before disappearing via Teleport, returning not even ten seconds later with a bewildered young boy. I vaguely recognized him from earlier, and the shiny _2_ pinned to his shirt was enough for me to nod at Ralts in thanks, my Pokemon letting out a cheery cry before once more disappearing.

In roughly two minutes, the five new recruits were assembled before me, all looking a little queasy from Ralts Teleporting. I didn't blame them; the first couple times I had Ralts Teleport me left me feeling sick and with a head ache for a good hour. With an understanding look, I waited for them to calm down somewhat before getting back to business. Ralts, with a huff, was once more hanging off my back, her chin resting on my shoulder.

"So, then, how did the mission go? You!" I pointed at the first boy that Ralts had brought back, making him jump. "How many Starter Pokemon did you manage to catch?"

He looked down, and mumbled his answer. I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you."

"I said I caught four." He said a bit louder this time, and even then I had to strain to hear him properly.

I blinked, honestly a little surprised. That was actually a good amount for a first timer, especially when most new recruits were only able to usually catch one, two at the most. For him to have caught four, well, that only said good things in his favor. I made a mental reminder of him; it would do good to place him in a team where he could hopefully continue doing such good work.

"Good job, cadet." I said, making him look up at me shyly with a hesitant look, as if wondering if I honestly meant that. I gave a small smile of my own in return, nodding my head at him, making his flush in pride and stand a bit straighter.

I then looked at the recruit standing next to him, going through the process of asking how many they caught and making mental notes as I went. When I next went through their folders, I would at least have a little bit to add until I next met with them.

None of the others were able to match the first boy, the older of the two girls coming the closest at three, while the rest of the lot came in at two. It wasn't a bad haul, to be sure. Now came the fun part.

"Well done, you lot. For your first mission, you all have passed." I spared a moment to smile at them, which they all returned with varying amount of pride and relief. "As if custom for the Deck of Cards, after one's first successful mission, you are given your first Pokemon." I didn't bother holding back a smirk when all five of them looked at me with big eyes, all excited. "That's right, you lot get to choose your first Pokemon here and now!" I exclaimed, opening my arms wide, a wide grin on my face.

Ah, new recruits. So easy to impress.

"So, here's how this is going to work," I started drawing my arms back in to shuffled Ralts off my back and on my front, then shrugging off the cheep backpack that I had bought while wasting time Petalburg. "You all get the choice to either, A: keep the Pokemon that you were first assigned, the Pokemon that helped you in catching the Starters, or B: choose one of the Starters that you caught." When some opened their mouth to ask questions, I beat them to it, more than use to the sort of questions that they'd ask.

"And no, you may not choose a Starter from another recruit, and no, you may not swap the Pokemon that were assigned to you. Or, if you don't like any of the options, you can just wait until you get back to the base to have a Pokemon assigned to you. Though, as a word of warning, likely case in that route is you'll like _that_ Pokemon even less. At least this way, you get an option." And with that, the group of five set about picking out their own Starter Pokemon.

"Ah, Miss Joker?" The youngest of the group, the girl, spoke up, drawing everyone's attention towards her. She fidgeted, but continued on. "Is… is Ralts the Pokemon that you chose as your Starter?"

I blinked, surprised at the question. Never had one of the recruits asked _me_ what I had done for my Starter. Tilting my head, I looked at the young girl with a critical eye. I made a mental note to keep an eye on her. Or, at least, have _someone_ keep an eye on her.

"No. My Starter was my Kecleon. I won my Ralts here from a poker game." I told them all quite honestly. They'd find out anyways, later, if they stuck in my division. It was quite well know, after all, how I had come across a majority of my Pokemon.

Most of them looked startled at the information, though the oldest of the lot looked at me with awe filled eyes.

"A-a _poker_ game?" One of the other boys exclaimed, a mix between aghast and amazed.

I gave them a crooked smile, Ralts letting out a giggle. "Well, we _are_ The Deck of Cards, Spades edition. It'd be a little sad if we couldn't _play_ cards, you know?" I flashed them a grin that was all teeth. "Besides, in this line of work, you use whatever opportunity that you have in order to get the assigned Pokemon."

A few of them looked a little uneasy at that announcement, but I continued on before they had time to think about it too much.

"Now then, had everyone chosen their Starter?" I asked, clapping my hands together. At that, they all resumed looking through their options, silent once more. I smirked.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Six_

"Any promising recruits for your field?" Ace asked the next day, taking the five folders that held the information on yesterday's kids from me. He flipped open the first one, scanning through my observations and comments at a speed that came with experience.

"Yeah, three." I said with a yawn, falling back into the chair provided for me rather ungracefully, arms stretched above my head. Ralts was at the moment exploring Ace's office, my Pokemon always enjoying going through it whenever we stopped by. Ace never seemed to mind, so I let her do as she pleased. "The other two will most likely end up switching out, if they haven't already."

"Hmm," Was all Ace said, crossing one leg over his knee as he leaned back in his own chair. Being one of the Spade's Royals, his office was nothing to scoff at. In size alone, it could double as an overpriced hotel suite. And since it was at one of the Spade's many bases, just about everything that Ace needed to do his job was present, including a Pokemon transfer machine going to and from any of the labs. Nifty thing, that machine. It was how Ace was able to receive and place all of the Pokemon that the Spade's caught or stole, all in the comfort of his office. At times I was jealous of that, being able to stay in one place unless you chose to move around, but then I'd get a mission that'd send me to Lavaridge and I'd forget all about it. Hot springs. Enough said.

While he as reading through the folders, I glanced over his shoulder to see what he was doing on his three computers before I came in. One of the large screens showed the base's surveillance, while another was opened up to a list that I knew from previous visits as the list of Pokemon that we held in storage. It was from there that he was able to control just where the Pokemon went. The final computer screen had a half finished e-mail on it, but before I could get a chance to read it, Ace dumped the five files on his second desk, the desk that didn't house his computer equipment. Together they made an 'L' shape.

"Well done, like always. I'll be sure to follow up on your suggestions on team placement," he said as he placed his hands on his lap, giving off the vibe of relaxation and ease. I easily matched the vibe, having thrown my legs over the side of the chair and looked over at Ace in my laid back position. I grinned at him when he mocked rolled his eyes at me.

"So, now what'cha got for me? Something better than looking after some more new recruits, I hope."

"Now, now, Joker, you and I both know that those kinds of assignments are necessary. Those new recruits are, after all, the future of the Spades," Ace said in a long suffering tone, this being a conversation that we've had since I've first had to deal with new recruits as the Spade's Joker.

"Well, then, I've decided that I'm going to start looking for someone to take my place in looking over any new recruits." At his raised eyebrow, I turned my nose up in the air with a sniff. "I know it can be done; the previous Joker had one." I pointed out, full well knowing that there was no way that Ace could say no; not that he likely was going to anyways. What would be the fin of having underlings if they just sat there, after all?

Ace just nodded his head. "Very well; as long as he or she is a _6_ or higher."

I grinned and made a mental note to go through all those in my field that could fit the minor requirement. There had to be at least _one_ person who'd be willing to meet with the new recruits every now and then. If anything, I could set it up to where _every_ _6_ under my command had to watch over future groups of recruits at least once before moving up in rank. That way I didn't have to do it, and whoever I picked couldn't complain.

I nodded to myself, liking my idea, before I turned my attention back to Ace who was looking at me with amusement in his eyes. He was more than used to my periodic lapses into my mind and found them more interesting than annoying.

"Now that I have you back with me," he said with a teasing tone, "here's what's happening." And like that, he was serious. I sat just a little bit straighter in my laid back position. Yeah, I was talented like that. "Two groups are beginning to pop up, one calling themselves Team Magma, and the other Team Aqua." Ace frowned, an action that I copied. After Team Rocket had tried (and failed) sending some of their members into our region to steal Pokemon and take control, no other self proclaimed group had tried since, too afraid to have a repeat of what we did to those unlucky Rockets. The Deck of Cards wasn't very tolerant to others who thought they could do our many jobs, after all, and we weren't afraid of showing our displeasure. It had been the first time that I had to not only fight with my Pokemon, but with a gun as well. I secretly hope that I never had to use one again, though I would if it meant protecting the Deck.

"This will either be a profit to us, or a potential hazard." I said grimly, thinking out loud. It was hard to be a Royal, or friends with Ace, and not begin thinking of how certain actions could affect us. If there was one thing that I envied the Numbers for, it was that they didn't have to worry about making decisions that could affect not only one's House, but the whole Deck as well.

"Exactly. For the moment, we're going to wait and see just what these two groups are planning. Be ready, though, for any counter action that the King may have us do. Chances are, though, that that won't happen for a few more months unless they do something drastic."

I nodded, just as serious as Ace. When it came to dealing with the Rocket's, I had been called in, along with a good deal of my higher level men and women, to deal with the 'threat'. It had taken two grueling weeks of fighting and death threats before we were able to push the Rockets out of Hoenn and back into Kanto, where it was the Heart's job to keep them under control. In the end, it was found out that not only had Rockets tried to infiltrate Hoenn, but Johto as well, the Clubs having to take the same actions as the Spades. When our home, our people, were threaten, we held no reservations in doing whatever it took to make it safe once more. A lot of blood was shed during those weeks, more than I ever wanted to see.

The bloodshed didn't stop there, though, and I was once more forced to wield a gun.

These two failed invasions were all the Hearts needed in order to attack the main Rocket headquarters, no longer willing to let them think that they were the only criminal organization in Kanto with power. The Heart's King had asked for the other King's to send in whatever reinforcement that they could to take out all of the Rockets, something that the Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds were more than happy to do. In a month and a half's time, all of the Rocket's bases were destroyed, the leader missing and presumed dead, and what few Rockets that had been spared fleeing for their lives. We lost a lot of good men and women during the mini war. The losses only pushed us harder to wiping the Rockets out faster, there no longer being mercy for those that opposed us.

It had been the first time that I had to work alongside the other Houses Jokers, they also being the ones to lead their men and women in Kanto. Together, we made the 'Four Generals', as our mini army called us. Since I was the youngest, and the newest to the position, I didn't exactly get along with the other, older, three, but they also didn't treat me like the kid I was, either, so I can't exactly complain. At that time, we couldn't afford to have any internal power struggles on who should or shouldn't have been there. By the end of it all, I showed the other Joker's just why I had been taken under and trained by the Joker before me. To this day, we all held an amount of respect for one another. You don't get through a fight, depending on one another, without gaining even a small amount of respect for them, after all.

That wasn't to say we didn't get on each other's nerves, or pick meaningless fights if in the same room as one another, but we all knew that if the time called, we could rely on one another. And at the end of the day, that was all that really mattered in the Deck.

The police had had a field day with all the murders and building explosions, the region entering panic mode at the seemingly random deaths. For many months after 'The Elimination', as the Numbers liked to call it, Kanto had upped their security and hired more police officers in an attempt to keep peace and catch those responsible for the countless murders. The Elite Four and Champion had even taken a keen interest in the event we had caused, having come close a few times in tracking up down and apprehending one of our men or women. Unlike the police, the Elite Four and Champion actually posed a threat that we couldn't just avoid. They caused us to up our own security and increase our paranoia.

We got lucky, in the end, by being able to have all of our members avoid capture. It helped that there every team had a count of ten or more. All the members who had lost their life had their body recovered and sent back to their home region for proper burial. That saying 'No man left behind' couldn't have been truer.

To date, since there have been no other killings or building explosion like the ones we had caused, the public had settled down somewhat and life in Kanto has returned to normal for the most part. The Hearts still had to take cautious steps in their dealings, but business was returning to normal for them as well.

As said before, the Deck of Cards are very intolerant to those that threatened our way, and are _very_ protective of our own. I wasn't the only one who thought of the Deck as family, after all. The Rockets attempts to invade Hoenn and Johto had been their final action, it having sealed their fate in the eyes of the Kings. WE had risked breaking our cover for the small war, but at the end of the day, when all was said and over with, I found myself with a grim satisfaction, knowing that we'd never have to deal with the Rockets again. Even if, to this day, a good year and a half later, I still dreamt of those dark days, not able to forget the feeling of a handgun clasped in my hands as I fought for the protection and glory of the Deck of Cards, I wouldn't change what I had done.

"Do we have any men and women on the inside yet?" I asked Ace, my mind withdrawing from the darker corners of my memory. Now was not the time to remember those events.

"We're working on it, yes. The King has hopes that by the end of the week at least a few of our forces will be a part of either Magma or Aqua."

I nodded, my mind working a mile a minute. We'd have to tread lightly for the next few months to learn all that we could before making a move. After all, it wouldn't do to destroy them right off the bat when whatever they were planning could potentially benefit us, or not even affect us. Not that they would know that they would be helping us, that is.

"In the mean time," Ace started, making me snap my attention back to him, "I have a rather important mission for you." I nodded to show that I was paying attention. "Over these past couple of years, the Deck of Cards has been trying to find a way into Unova. As you well know, Unova is a secluded region, letting few outsiders in besides into select vacation designated parts, or if you have a family claim there." Here, Ace gave 'the' smile that had younger members tremble and fear getting on his bad side with older members bowing in respect. "Finally, we have an inside man willing to help us out."

I felt my eyes widen as I swung my legs over and lean forward. "You mean…"

His smile turned smug, and I didn't bother repressing the grin that was all teeth spread on my face. "You, my dear Joker, are going to be spending some time visiting your 'dear uncle' in Unova. Is that exciting enough for you?"

I gave a throaty laugh, throwing my head back. Finally! I was _finally_ given a mission that would truly test my skills and brain. And what's better, it was to be in the previous untouchable _Unova_ region! The only region that none of the Deck of Cards could get into until now, and _I was the one being sent in_.

I calmed my laughter down to a light giggle, Ralts having come over to see just what caused my spike in emotion. As I bent down to pick her up, I saw Ace out of the corner of my eye smiling and shaking his head in good amusement.

"I thought that you might like it."

"Yes," I practically purred out, holding Ralts to my chest, "I _love_ it. When do I leave?"

Ace spared a moment to look through the various folders on his second desk, giving a light 'Aha', when he found the one he wanted. Handing it over to me, he started explain my mission.

"You're to leave in a week's time, just long enough for you to finish up any last minute business that you might have and talk to your men and women about them covering your assignments." I smirked. _That_ was going to be fun. "You'll only be able to take a single suitcase, and we'll have to smuggle in your Pokemon seeing how Trainer's aren't allowed in unless given explicit permission, much less bring in Pokemon from other regions. In that folder is a list of Pokemon that you are to catch, as many as possible, in as little time as you can. Before the week is up, I'll send you a package with some key items that you'll need while there.

"You have to be careful over there, Joker. If you get into trouble, we won't be there to bail you out. We can't risk exposing our contact, not after all it took to get him." He said seriously, to which I looked up from the folder and nodded, understanding perfectly well. I was going to be, in short, on my own. There would be no one from the Deck over there to help me out, not even my contact. "This also means that you can't draw attention to yourself while there. While you'll be able to have your team of Pokemon with you, you _cannot_ use them in public areas or with others around to see them. Them being seen will just bring trouble, trouble that you can't afford to have. If you have to, catch a Pokemon for yourself over there to use around others."

"I understand." And I did. I knew what was at stake; I didn't get where I was in the Spades from making foolish mistakes, thinking that I was above rules. It'd be a pain, not being able to freely have my Pokemon out, but I'd work around it. I'd have to. The previous Joker had been sure to beat those sort of thoughts out of my head at the very beginning of my training, after all. The Deck always came first, everything else second.

He stared me down for what felt like forever before nodding, moving on.

"In addition to capturing and stealing Pokemon, you are going to be the first of hopefully many that will be sent over this way. You are the trial run in other words; if you fail, then the King's have ordered that we wait another year and a half before trying to send someone else over. We're already risking you after all the past failed attempts." We both frowned, remembering the past members that had been sent before me and failed. "If you succeed, though, and manage to get in and out without notice, then we will start a slow but steady trickle of agents into Unova." He leaned forward, drawing my attention back to him. "I can't stress how important this is for us all, Rachel." The use of my real name made me jump just the slightest, my eyes widening.

I swallowed thickly, nodding silently. In my arms, Ralts let through comforting emotions through our bond, making me relax marginally. It was at times like these that I was reminded that Ace was in his position of power for a reason, too, and not just anyone could become an Ace.

And just like that, Ace was once more leaning back in his chair, all seriousness gone as he gave me a pleasant smile. "Good. I knew that I could count on you, Joker."

"Right." I gave a shaky smile. "Of course, Ace."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When I got back to my apartment later that afternoon, I felt exhausted. Closing and locking the door behind me, I rubbed at my eyes I as made my way towards my bathroom. Since I didn't feel like making the flight or Teleporting to Lavaridge, an extra hot bath would have to suffice.

Half an hour later, I was squeaky clean and relaxed. With a hum, I let out all the Pokemon that I could, having to once more leave Flygon and Sharpedo inside their Pokeballs. One of these days, I'd get around to moving into a larger place, one that had an indoor swimming pool. I'd just have to convince Ace that I deserved a bigger place. Maybe after I got back from Unova… I had to be just about the only Royal with an _apartment_, of all the potential living establishments in our region.

I watched as my assembled Pokemon stretched and then went about amusing themselves, Ralts jumping off my back to go and join them. While they were busy, I headed to my room to start picking out things that I would need for my coming mission. Being only able to take a suitcase, I'd have to pack carefully, especially since it wasn't uncommon for bags and luggage to be searched before even allowed on the plane to Unova.

Things would be so much easier if one could just fly over on Pokemon, or swim in, or even Teleport into the region, but all of those transportations were carefully watched for, and those found trying to enter that way were quick in being apprehended. The few that had tried before me using those such methods were all caught and imprisoned. We had been forced to leave them there, too, it being much too risky in breaking them out. It was just one of the dangers of being apart of the Deck of Cards. Without someone already in their willing to be a family member, you were stuck with vacation spots that were under constant scrutiny and supervision. Another three had tried slipping past, but Unova's security around those vacation spots was nothing to take too lightly. It went without saying that those three were also found and taken.

In short, the Unova region was in isolation by choice, and was unlikely to change anytime soon. So, for those of us that wanted in, we had to think outside the box and use whatever resources that we could to get in. This was where I came in; I would not be trying to go through the back door, but instead the front.

I shook my head and opened my top dresser drawer, picking through pieces of clothing. If anything, I could always buy more clothing while in Unova. Would no doubt be better, anyways, so that I had a better chance of blending in with their current fashion than wearing fashion from Hoenn. With that settled, I pulled out my only suitcase, it being medium sized and dark blue. Placing it on my bed, I started going through my room, packing things that I wouldn't need in the coming week, before having to stop at a crash from the living room. Nervous Pokemon laughter followed, making me sigh.

"I can't leave them alone for a minute, can I?" I asked to the empty room, shaking my head as I made my way back to the living room. This was going to be a long week's wait.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The night before I was to leave for Unova, I received the package of supplies from Ace, delivered by one of his many underlings. I thanked the young teen with a grin, Banette appearing over my shoulder with a crackle of a laugh, scaring the young girl sheet white, eyes wide. I kept my grin in place as I waved then shut the door on her white face. I turned to face Banette, looking half amused and have scolding.

"Now, now, Banette, if you scare off everyone that Ace sends, no one will want to give us things. Then what will we do?" I tried to sound serious, but it ended sounded far from it. Banette just gave another crackle before floating off.

I shook my head and headed to the living room. I dropped down onto the couch, box on my lap. From her position on the other side of the room, Ralts gave a questioning sound, her game with Kecleon paused.

"From Ace," I answered her unasked question as I started to open the box. When the box finally opened for me (damn masking tape), it held what I had been expecting. I pulled out my passport and flipped it open to find just what appearance Ace had chosen for me. It was me with thin framed glasses and dark brown hair. My passport said that this version of me had brown eyes, so I made a note to dig out the contacts that I'd need. I hummed as I set my passport to the side and reached back into the box. Next came my ticket, which I placed on top of my passport, and forged I.D. Then came the fun stuff; my provided arsenal.

I pulled out a tracker, a nifty little device that would let me track both Pokemon and fellow humans alike if need be. As long as I was able to tag them, I could track them. It really came in handy when I needed to capture a large amount of one species, or planned on stealing a Pokemon from a Trainer without being obvious that I was following them. The greatest part about it, though, was that it looked like and doubled as Unova's version of a Pokenav, an Xtransceiver. It meant that I'd have to leave my Pokenav here, though. I'd have to learn how this version differed from the one built into our Pokenavs, but it would at least give me something to do during the flight.

I then pulled out my new portable laptop. It weighed only a few pounds but I knew from past experiences that this little beauty was going to be my lifeline with Ace here. With it came a small, flash drive looking device that would plug into the small laptop. The only difference between this one and a regular flash drive was that at the end it had a small circle like holding area that, when minimized, would hold Pokeballs. With this, I would be able to deposit all of the Pokemon that I caught/stole into a digital storage, not that unlike a regular PC Storage Box, until I could transfer them to Ace. It had taken close to five years of work for the Deck of Cards scientists to get it working to the point where Pokeballs could be stored out of sight and was one of our biggest secrets. It could only hold a hundred and fifty Pokemon, but that maximum should cover my mission. What's more, only us Royals and the scientists themselves knew about this little beauty.

Didn't want to risk it getting out, after all. And this way, if it _did_ get out, we had a very good idea of who to look at as the traitor. We aren't very nice to traitors, and the scientists were more than aware of such. After the incident involving Erwin, who thought he could get away with selling the then half complete blueprints, none of the other scientists were about to try anything similar.

Given, that was all it could do at the moment, store Pokemon, but the scientists were constantly working on advancing it to not only store Pokemon, but to give the user a selected Pokemon from the storage. As is, once a Pokemon went in they would stay in until transferred to the main computer back at headquarters. I just thought of it as a great security defense. On the other hand, if I were to lose the flash drive, I was beyond screwed as the Pokemon inside would forever be in there.

The last object in the box was a medium sized book, titled '_Theory of Pokemon Origins: Thoughts of World Renown Professor Juniper_'. I flipped it open and turned through the pages. Towards the back of the book were six small circular holes, just big and deep enough to hold my six Pokeballs when minimized. I smiled and shook my head. It always amazed me how with most people, the simplest covers and tricks worked the best. Already, with this book and my chosen appearance, I had a story forming in mine to reduce my chances of being noticed and searched.

Now, though, I had to finish packing everything that I'd need for my flight tomorrow. This, was going to be fun.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

**Author's Note**: So, for some exciting news, I got myself a beta! Already she's been a great help, having looked over this chapter for me and pointing out mistakes that weren't just spelling errors. I hope that the quality improvement shows. So, thank you, Dagzar!

_Chapter Seven_

I shuffled forward in line, head bowed and book pressed against my chest with one hand while the other dragged my suitcase along behind me. The hair from my wig covered part of my face, my fake glasses sliding down my nose.

While I hated having to play the meek and shy young woman, it was easy to act such after so many years of perfecting it. Now, more than ever, I was relying on my acting skills to get past security and into Unova. From there, I could loosen up and drop the act for the most part.

Before I knew it, I was next and called up to the counter. I submerged myself into my act.  
>The man behind it looked me over with bored eyes, quick in dismissing me as I forced a blush and met his eyes before looking away.<p>

"Um—I have a—have a flight today," I mumbled out, shifting my book and letting my suitcase fall beside me. I jumped and my blush deepened. "So-sorry!" I squeaked in embarrassment, reaching down in haste to pick my suitcase back up, this time leaning it against the counter. Once done, I shifted before the counter, ducking my head in apparent shame.

Looking through my fake bangs I saw the male employee roll his eyes before forcing a strained smile at me. "No problem. Happens all the time. Now, your flight, ma'am?" He sounded as if he wanted to be anywhere but there, which worked just fine for me.

"Y-yes! I have a f-flight to Unova," I squeaked out once more, moving my book to where I could open the front cover. I pulled out my plane ticket and passed it to him without meeting his eyes. He took it with a sigh, spending the next few seconds typing away at his computer after scanning my ticket.

"May I please see your I.D and passport, Miss," he paused to double check his screen, "Evans?"

I didn't bother saying anything this time around as I fumbled for my passport and I.D in sweater pocket, passing it over to him with a small blush. He took it and compared me to my I.D, passed that back to me, then went through my passport. After a moment he gave that and my ticket back as well. I gathered them in one hand and placed them back in my sweater pocket.

"All seems to be in order, Miss Evans. And here," he paused as his computer beeped, and the sound of printing was heard. Once the sound stopped, he grabbed what was printed and slid it over the counter to me. "Be sure to wrap this around the handle of your luggage in a spot that easy to see for your luggage to be scanned." I set my book on the counter as I took hold of the sticker that was made up of numbers and a bar code. I did as he instructed, stumbling a bit and making the sticker crooked. The man behind the desk gave a soft sigh.

"As you may or may not be aware, your suitcase and any bags will be scanned, and if thought necessary, searched. On the flight you are allowed one bag carry on as long as it's small enough to fit in the overhead cases." He sighed once more before finishing his little speech. "When you get to your gate, you will have to show both your passport and I.D again before allowed to board, so keep them on you. Have a good day, and a pleasant flight." He gave a weak smile and wave as I said a quiet 'Thank you,' grabbed my suitcase, book, and went on my way.

Phase one, complete.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Place your suitcase here and any bags to be scanned," the security guard instructed with a serious tone, motioning towards a machine that I knew would be able to x-ray my suitcase. I did as he asked, setting my book down on the floor, being sure to struggle a bit in lifting my medium sized suitcase to where it needed to go.

"Any carry-ons, ma'am?" the security guard asked me, looking me over.

I reached down to pick back up my book, then using a finger to push back up my fake glasses, the things falling off, nodding my head towards him.

"Ju-just my book, sir," I spoke, showing him the cover of my book. His expression turned interested just the slightest.

"Oh? Is that the book by Professor Juniper?"

I nodded, flushing and puffing up in fake pride. "Ye-yes! I'm h-hoping to meet and study under the Professor, s-so I'm trying to get in as much extra reading before a-arriving in Unova." I explained in a small stutter, looking up at the guard with wide, excited eyes before blushing and looking away.

"Oh, is that so?" He questioned, interested in what I was saying. "I was able to meet that Professor once, you know, an—" He was cut off by another security guard calling out an annoyed 'Clear!' to him. He gave a light glare to his fellow guard, but waved me forward. "Have a good trip, and tell Professor Juniper that Jeffery says hello."

I flashed him a shy smile and nodded before going on my way, book pressed against my chest. I had to bit the inside of my lip to keep from grinning. With my suitcase cleared and being sent to the plane for storage, and book left unsearched, I was just about home free.

From my seat I tapped my foot, anxious for the plane to take off already. Compare to getting past customs, getting onto the plane itself was a breeze. Now all I had to worry about was surviving the six hour flight to Unova. From there, my mission would really start.

I shitted in my seat as a woman on the heavy side sat in the seat next to me, wasting no time in introducing herself. She didn't even bother waiting to hear me mumble out my own—fake—name before talking about how excited she was to be returning home after her vacation in Hoenn, and oh, what stories she had!

I held in a groan, sinking lower in my seat as I did my best to tune out the talking woman.  
>It was for reasons like these that I hated flying second class…<p>

And only six more hours to go, the new longest six hours of my life.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I was able to meet up with my contact nearly seven hours later, annoyance bubbling under my skin. The only reason I knew it was even him was because of the small photo that was in the folder that Ace had given me. I'm pretty sure that he didn't even know what I looked like, what with the way he was looking around the crowded airport with a hopeless look on his face. I gave a small smile in place of a warped one, shaking my head in amusement as I spent a brief moment watching the clueless man. He was an older man, forty-one to be exact, with short brown hair that matched the color of my wig. With his brown eyes matching my own, fake brown eyes, we really could pass as family.

After having to endure six hours of that monster of a woman, and without Ralts present to calm me, my darker, more twisted side was slipping through. It I didn't watch myself, I'd end up doing or saying something that'd just cause me trouble in the long run. No matter the person, one didn't last ten years in the Deck learning to be a thief and killer without a taint latching onto their soul, twisting them into a being that was just a tad colder, crueler, unforgiving. As the taint grew, so did the emotions that it brought.

I shook my head, breaking the path my thoughts were heading. Instead, I made my way towards my 'uncle'. I made sure that he saw me coming and made eye contact before calling out to him with a smile.

"Uncle Alex! Over here!" I waved the hand that held my book in the air to further catch his attention, my other hand dragging my suitcase behind me. His eyes lit and relief washed over his features. For those that might have been watching, his relief could have been mistaken for seeing his niece after so long.

"Ah, Colbie!" He started making his way through the crowd to meet me half way, embracing me in an awkward hug once we got close enough. When we broke apart, he took my suitcase for me. "Look how much you've grown!" He exclaimed, that particular line being his half of the confirmation code.

"Well, it has been almost seven years, uncle." We shared a smile, a small amount of the tension between us loosening.

"Yes, I suppose it has, hasn't it?" He mused. "Anyways, I have a room ready for you. I even went and got internet installed since your dad got you that laptop."

I grinned and he smiled. "Thanks, uncle! I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't have kept in contact with my friends!" With having internet at his house, I wouldn't have to worry about receiving Ace's updates late and could get into contact with him if need be faster.

It went quiet between us after us, and I took the moment to look over some of the other people in the crowded airport. I saw only a few with Pokeballs around their waist, but it was enough for me. If I was to steal and capture as many Pokemon from here while I could, besides the mandatory Pokemon that Ace had listed, I might as well as start now. There was no better place to steal a Pokeball from a Trainer than in a crowded place like this, after all. If I was lucky, any Pokemon that I stole here would be on my list.

Walking beside my 'uncle', we weaved through the masses, towards the exit. As we went I would slip my hand to the few Poke-belts that I could reach without being suspicious, slipping my stolen goods in my sweater pocket. By the time that we left the airport, I had managed to lift a grand total of six Pokeballs. I held in a snicker at the thought that I just made a team of stolen Pokemon. Not that I would dare use them, but the thought remained.

My 'uncle' was oblivious to what I had done which worked for me. Since he wasn't an actual member of the Deck, I didn't feel comfortable in telling him what I was doing, or what I stole. Sure, he knew in theory what I planned on doing while over here, but that didn't mean that I was going to show him or tell him all about it. I might have been a bit paranoid, but my paranoia had kept me alive in this business for ten years; I wasn't about to risk it all for the sake of a man that wasn't even apart of the Deck.

The ride to his house took half an hour, a time that I spent staring out the window. The city, Castelia, wasn't called the largest city in the Pokemon world for nothing. I felt a little out of my depth, being in such a large, strange, city. Not only would I have to continue my study of the Pokemon of this region, but I'd also have to add in the region's geography. If not, I'd end up lost and confused by the day's end.

Not knowing something as basic as the region's layout would be a dead giveaway that I wasn't from around here. I already had my accent to worry about; I didn't need anything else to give me away.

'Uncle's' house was a little on the small side, but it would do for what I needed it for. His house itself was in a housing district, there being houses lining the streets that looked similar to his. The thought of having to deal with neighbors wasn't all that appealing, as that meant I had to be even more careful when I let my own Pokemon out, but I'd work around them. 'Uncle' brought my suitcase into his house, and I followed after, looking over my new surroundings with a critical eye. It was a habit that I got into early into my career. It wouldn't do to be oblivious, after all.

The inside of my 'uncle's' house was nice, at least, and he gave me a quick tour before showing me to my room. It was smaller than I was use to, but at least I would have a bed to sleep on so I couldn't complain. My Pokemon might, but they'd just be happy to be out so I didn't think that they'd care. I turned towards my 'uncle', thanking him and taking my suitcase. He offered a smile before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

I set my book on my new dresser, and lifted my suitcase onto my bed with ease. I was quick in unzipping it, digging out my laptop. Sitting down on my new, twin sized bed, I opened and powered up my laptop. It took half a minute for me to long on, sign onto the internet, and video call Ace. Having been waiting for my call, he was quick in answering.

"I'm in," was the first thing that I told him with a mad grin, one that he responded to with a mad grin of his own.

"Excellent."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I was sitting back on my bed, my Pokemon who could be out, out, and checking out my room. I'd have to figure out something for Flygon and Sharpedo; I didn't want to keep them cooped up in their Pokeballs the entire time, after all. In the mean time, I was busy going through the files that Ace had given me for what felt like the twentieth time, going over the Pokemon that I needed to get before leaving.

Of Unova's hundred and fifty-six Pokemon, I was charged with stealing or capturing twenty-four no matter what, as well as any stray Pokemon that I could pick up. I had already started from the six that I had managed to steal from the airport, but the six that I stole hadn't been on my list. Either way, they were already stored in my flash drive storage, so I didn't have to worry about them being found. It still left me with twenty-four Pokemon.

At the moment, all that I had going for me was the fact that I was staying in the world's largest city, so I could always amuse myself by pick pocketing from Trainers, all the while keeping my eyes open for the Pokemon that I needed. Being in such a large city, one that had a Pokemon Gym to boot, I didn't have to worry about running out of targets. If I really wanted to, I could stay here for my entire mission. Not that I would, but I could.

With a sigh I set the files aside and rubbed at my eyes. Jetlag was starting to kick in and the thought of going to bed sounded mighty appealing. First, though, I had to talk with Alex. There was some information only he could give me, after all.

My Pokemon gave me a curious look as I got up and headed to the door. I had already explained to them our current mission, and they understood that they couldn't be seen by anyone other than Alex and me. They didn't like it, Ralts especially, but there was nothing to be done. As such, they were confined to my room on the off chance that an unexpected visitor dropped by and they were out. As far as Unova officials were concerned, I didn't own any Pokemon, and neither did my 'uncle'. We both wanted it to stay that way.

I found Alex in the living room, reading a book. He looked up as I entered, marking his place in his book and setting it to the side.

"May I help you with something, Colbie?" To be on the safe side, Ace didn't tell him my real name, or my real appearance. This way, on the off chance that he turned on me, I could change looks and go by a different name with no problem. It was a safety precaution that we always used when doing business with a non-Deck member.

"Just a couple of questions, if you don't mind?" I asked as I sat down across from him, offering him a pleasant smile.

"Of course not. I'll do my best to answer them."

"First question then; this Team Plasma, should I be worried?" I asked this quite seriously, wanting to know all that I could about the regions criminal organization. Sure, Ace was able to get me a report on them, but without anyone on the inside to give a detailed report, it was filled with bits and snippets of information that didn't help a whole lot in the long run. With Alex here, though, I could learn from a firsthand experience just what I might have to deal with.

Alex let out a sigh, rubbing at his neck. "What's there to tell? They're a bunch of hypocrites who say that they want the freedom of Pokemon from Trainers, yet have Pokemon of their own. They say that we should all live in peace with Pokemon, not use them for battling." He shook his head and I tilted my own head to the side as I listened. "In the beginning, they'd just give flowery speeches, but now there are reports that they're stealing Pokemon to 'set them free' as _well_ as giving flowery speeches." Alex snorted.

"You don't believe them?" I questioned.

"Not really; I've had the _pleasure_ of seeing some of them, and they're really a piece of work. Some might truly believe what they're spouting, but most look like they're just there for the uniform and power it comes with." He shook his head once more.

"I see…" I said, mind working a mile a minute. Alex had just confirmed some of what Ace had said, and gave me a better idea of what to expect if I ever came across any of them. Also, since they've started stealing Pokemon, people would most likely pass off any Pokemon that I stole as a result of Team Plasma. I turned my attention back to Alex. "What about Trainers? Are there any special rules or consequences for being a Trainer over here?"

"Special rules? Well, all that I can really think of are that you need to be a Trainer in order to buy any type of Pokeballs. Medical supplies are sold to the general public, as well as any other Pokemon merchandise, but only Trainers are allowed to catch Pokemon."

I blinked, surprised. "Really? So I just can't go in and buy a regular Pokeball without a Trainer's License?"  
>Alex shook his head. "Afraid not. It was a law passed quite a while ago, and no one's bothered to fight it since it doesn't affect most people."<p>

"Well that's…unexpected."

"That won't be a problem for you, will it?" He asked, sounding worried. I waved him off.

"No, it shouldn't be, just not what I was expecting. There's nothing like that in any of the other regions, so I was just surprised."

"Ah. Anything else?"

I thought about it before nodding. "What other changes can I expect over here? I don't want to be surprised again while out in public."

Alex spent a moment to think about it, no doubt comparing his regions and the others. "Well, there's no Safari Zones here, and no Battle Frontier. Also, the Poke Center and Poke Mart are in the same building more often than not. There are still some Poke Marts that are in their own building, but a majority of them are shared with Poke Centers." Now _that_ made my eyes widen. "Those are the biggest differences that I can think of at the moment. My memories of Hoenn are a little fuzzy; sorry." He apologized, looking truly sorry for not being able to tell me more.

"No, no; that's good. Thank you for letting me know," I assured him, my mind going through plans on just how I was to rob the Poke Mart for Pokeballs when it was in the same building as the Poke Center.

Not even a day in, and already my mission was getting interesting.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I ran my fingers through my hair, my real hair, and then brushed down my black shirt with my gloved covered hands. With my black pants, natural black hair, and now black long sleeved shirt, I blended in nicely with the night. I tied a small, empty black bag around a loop on my belt, it hanging at my side and ready to be filled with tonight's prize. My Banette floated at my side, crackling at the fact that he was going to be helping me tonight. Down at my side stood Kecleon, warming up by blending in with the rooms surroundings. Ralts sat on my bed, pouting, Castform floating above her with a small frown.

"Come on you two, you both know that I can't risk bringing you along as well. I'm already risking it with Kecleon and Banette." I tried to reason with them, and while Castform gave in with a huff, Ralts continued to pout. I sighed and rubbed at my face. "I'm sorry, Ralts, but I'm not going to risk you by bringing you along. You can't blend in like Kecleon, or become invisible like Banette." When that line of reason didn't appeal to her, I tried again. "If we were in Hoenn, you know that I'd bring you, but we're _not_ in Hoenn. We have to be extra alert here; you know that we can't afford any slip ups."

My Pokemon deflated a little, her pout lessening to just a sadden frown. I smiled as I knelled down to match her present height. "Hey now, none of that. We'll be okay; Kecleon and Banette will take care of me." I turned to face my two Pokemon, minus Kecleon as he was already blended into his surroundings. "Won't you two?"

They both cried out in affirmative, Kecleon's head reappearing just so that we could see his grin. I turned back to Ralts, her frown gone as she gave a very human like sigh. _'Fine_,' she whispered in my mind, and I grinned down at her. I rubbed the top of her head before standing, turning to face Banette.

"Go and scout out the area again, and make sure to kill any cameras," I ordered my Pokemon, who faded with a mad grin in place. While I knew that the Poke Mart closed at ten, and it was already eleven, but since the Mart was in the same building as the Center, I wanted to make sure that no one was around when I appeared. That and leaving on the cameras was just plain stupid. Why leave behind visual evidence, after all? My two Pokemon could hide in plain sight if they wanted, so didn't have to worry about cameras; I couldn't. Not yet at least. Who knows what the scientists would come up with next?

The plan tonight was simple; Banette would Shadow Sneaks us into the closed Poke Mart, and the three of us would get as many Pokeballs as we could into my bag. Well, Pokeballs and whatever else catches our fancy. I was never one to turn down medical supplies, after all. Especially if I wanted to keep out of a Poke Mart, and as such a Poke Center, as possible.

Before I knew it Banette was back and nodding at me. I spared on last look at Ralts and Castform before Banette took hold of my arm, Kecleon grabbing hold of my leg. And then we were gone.

It was interesting, being in a Poke Mart that looked close to nothing like the ones in Hoenn. It was more open, and where the doors would have been was instead one large opening that was now blocked off by the chain metal closing that were popular in malls. As expected, the lights in the shop were off, the only light coming from the lobby of the Center. I kept in my crouched position to keep anyone outside noticing my movements. Because of the Mart's positioning, I had to be even more cautious with my actions.

I nodded to my two Pokemon, and as one we split, Banette fading and Kecleon blending. I was left with blending into the shadows, moving quickly through the store's wares. My first stop was behind the counter where they kept their stock of Pokeballs. While not as many to choose from as in Slateport, they were decent enough for what I intended to use them for. I made sure to grab handfuls of the minimized Ultra Balls, as well as some Great Balls, Net Balls, Nest Balls, and just because I could, some regular Pokeballs. By the time I was done, my black bag was near full, leaving just enough room for me to close it securely. If I used them wisely, this would be the only time that I would have to make such a trip during my stay in Unova.

While I was behind the counter, I looked what else they had to offer, shifting through the items. I picked out some food for my Pokemon, getting just enough that I could hold in one arm. I would need my other arm to hold whatever Banette picked out, after all. Kecleon would be able to hold whatever he picked out, so I didn't have to worry there.

I stayed where I was, crouched behind the counter, and whispered out my Pokémon's names, calling them to me. Banette was the first to appear, first showing up as nothing more than floating Full Restores. More than use to my Pokemon, I didn't even blink at the sight, instead reaching up with my free hand to take the items from my Pokemon. With that, I was loaded up with much needed items, and was left waiting for Kecleon to show before leaving. As if hearing my thoughts, my first Pokemon shimmered in next to me, arms full of Revives. When he stuck out part of his tongue, I made out what looked to be Full Heals. I grinned at my Pokemon. I felt like I was a student back under the previous Joker once more, just learning to break into a building to steal. It was so easy now, compared to back then when I was a bundle of nerves and only had my Kecleon to rely on.

As Kecleon shifted closer to me, Banette drifted down to place a hand on both Kecleon and I. Within seconds, the three of us were back in my room at Alex's. Ralts and Castform greeted us with pleased sounding cries, Castform circling us as Banette let go of us and went about chasing after Castform in a sort of game. I had only seconds to free my arms before Ralts was jumping off my bed and into my arms. Her feelings of relief came through our bond. I wasn't surprised that she had been worried; it was rare for me to leave without her on these sorts of missions. I sat on the floor with my legs crossed, trying my best in calming my Psychic Pokemon. Kecleon set down his own spoils, including all of the Full Heals that he had stashed in his mouth, and latched onto my side, saying something to Ralts that had the Pokemon ease her grip on my shirt.

I shook my head as I wrapped one arm around Kecleon, the other around Ralts. Between these two, I'd never have to worry about my safety; they worried more than enough for me.

And above the three of us, Castform and Banette continued to play, laughing (crackling in Banette's case) all the while. All we needed was Flygon and Sharpedo, and our family would be complete. With a silent promise to find a way to have all of my Pokemon out at once, I closed my eyes and relished in my surrounds. We might have been in a strange land, assigned with one of the highest missions from all four Kings, and without backup, but at times like these, all of those other factors melted away. For the time being, anyways.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

**Author's Note**: So, while looking up info on the Unova Region, I came across an interesting theory. Who else has heard of the Shadow Triad being the Striaton Gym Leaders? I just found it a rather amusing thought, you know? Talk about adding depth to a Pokemon game…

Also, my school started back up today, so I can't promise fast updates. Sorry.

_Chapter Eight_

My mission started the next morning. During breakfast, I turned on Alex's TV and set about watching the morning news. It was a habit of mine that developed some time ago; watching the news was always a great way to learn what was going on in the region, and Unova was no different. My Pokemon gathered around me, Alex still sleeping. I wasn't surprised; most sane people weren't up at five. But then, I never claimed to be sane. Being sane was just a state of mind, anyways. I could fake it.

I had already fed my Pokemon, Flygon and Sharpedo included. It was a tight fit for Flygon, and Sharpedo was _not_ amused at being fed in Alex's bathtub, but for the time being I didn't have a lot of options. I almost felt bad for bringing them along instead of leaving them in Ace's care. It had been my original idea, too, but neither would hear anything about it. They were stubborn in remaining with me, and who was I to refuse them? I reminded them of this fact, too, and they grumbled at me.

My theft at the Poke Mart wasn't on, not that I expected it to be this early. Since the store didn't open until six, I wasn't expecting it to make the news until at least six-thirty, seven at the latest. Then again, this is all based on if they even decide to air it. Who knows how Unova would handle a theft on that scale. Ultra Balls and Revives cost a lot of money all on their own, after all. Never mind how much I had come away with in the end. Not that it mattered if they told the public of my theft or not. I wouldn't be going back to that particular Poke Mark again; I was the sort of person who didn't commit the same crime in the same place twice if I could help it.

Besides, in a city this big, there was bound to be more than one Poke Mart if I somehow ran out of supplies.

I watched Unova's news for the next hour, flipping between news channels at times. At around six-fifteen sounds came from Alex's room and I shooed my Pokemon back to my room. None were happy about that, but did as I asked. Just as my room door closed did Alex's open. He looked bleary eyed as headed towards the bathroom, so I turned my attention back to the TV. Roughly five minutes later he walked into the living room, looking surprised to see me up and dressed, wig and fake glasses already in place.

"Good morning, uncle," I said with a cheerful smile, which just made him blink.

"Ah, good…morning, Colbie." He moved to sit down beside me, turning to watch the TV as well.

"I hope that you don't mind the news," I commented off-handedly. He just shook his head.

For the next couple of minutes we watched the news in silence; that was until my theft at the Poke Mart made breaking news. I bit back a smirk as Alex leaned forward in interest. I leaned back and crossed my arms across my chest, my left leg lifting to cross over my right, relaxed and satisfied.

"—ported twenty Ultra Balls were stolen last night in one of Castelia's Poke Mart's, along with multiple other Pokeballs, healing items, and Poke Food." The young male reporter paused to hold a finger to his ear. "Now I'm being told that an additional fifteen Revives were taken as well, and that all security cameras were disabled for the theft. There are no suspects at this time, but all of the Trainers that spent the night in the Center are being questioned by the police. We ask that anyone who has any suspicions on who this thief is to please contact the local police. We will be giving you updates as they come. Back to you, Tom."

"Who would have thought that someone would be able to break into a Poke Mart and make off with so many items," Alex said next to me, shaking his head in wonder. "And a Poke Mart that's in the same building as a Poke Center no less!"

I hid a smile behind a hand. Who indeed?

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

After the news, I told Alex I was heading out for the day. He wished me luck on whatever I was planning, but otherwise kept any questions he had to himself. I stopped by my room first to tell my Pokemon to keep an eye on my things and that I'd be back in time. Ralts and Kecleon didn't look happy, but didn't put up too much of a fight since I told them that I was just going out to get a feel for the city, where the best spots to steal from were. The more people hanging around, the better.

That and I had to keep an eye out for the Pokemon on my list. In case I saw a Trainer who owned one, I made sure to bring my Xtransceiver. It wouldn't do to find one, only to lose them. With my Xtransceiver on my wrist, my chained wallet in my pocket with the end attached to one of my belt's loop (being a pro at pick pocketing, I knew just how easy it was to lose a wallet on the street), I adjusted my wig and glasses, having put them on long before Alex woke. All in all, I looked like a regular teenager going out for a day in the city.

After getting instructions from Alex, I caught the bus into the heart of the city, getting off at a random stop that looked to have quite a few people mulling about in. I didn't have to fake my look of wonder as I looked around my surroundings, craning my neck to get a good look at the tall skyscrapers. I shook my head to clear it and followed the general stream of people, hoping to be lead to a popular area of the city. I wasn't to be disappointed when after a few minutes a large, populated area came into view. It had to be the largest roundabout I've ever seen, the roundabout itself being a large park-like area. I crossed the street, zeroing in on Trainers and Pokemon that were already out or easy to tell apart from non-Trainers.

I took my time in walking to the center of the strangely placed park, peaking through the trees to look for other possible Trainers and Pokemon. While I wouldn't be able to catch any Pokemon, I could always tag them to find them later, as with Trainers. Although the theory of tagging had been explained to me multiple times by the men and women in white lab coats, it never stuck. If asked to explain, all I would be able to say is that you point, press the button, wait for the beep, and the Pokemon or Trainer had been tagged to be tracked later. I'm pretty sure that when it came to tagging Trainers, it had something to do with the Pokemon on them, but don't hold me to it. All I cared about was that it worked; _not_ the reason or science behind it.

When I reached the middle of the park, I sat on the edge of the massive fountain, smiling. From where I sat I could see the decent sized pond, as well as an area designated for Pokemon battling. Behind me were stands, and from the smells, at least some sold food. The general atmosphere was relaxed, peaceful. Kids ran around, playing tag with either fellow humans or Pokemon. Parents stood together in groups, watching the running and laughing children with smiles. Couples walked hand in hand, while most teenagers sat on the grass in groups, laughing and having a good time.

It was easy for me to tell, out of all that was going on, who was a Trainer and who wasn't. Besides the obvious of having Pokemon out or a Poke belt around their waist, there were more subtle hints to look for. Kids or teenagers that were apart from others, or in small groups, stood out, as well as those with backpacks on and a little rough around the edges from traveling. I made sure to keep an eye on any promising Trainers.

Without warning, three men walked to an empty space before me, all wearing matching outfits. I blinked and tilted my head in confusion, not recognizing the outfits from anywhere. But since I was still new to the region, not knowing wasn't all that surprising. All at once, the three men withdrew a Pokeball each and released their Pokemon, all looking like monkeys, just with key differences from one another.

'_Wait, aren't those…'_ I thought as I reached into my pants pocket for my small handbook on Unova Pokemon. Ace had given it to me as a way to study and lookup the regions Pokemon without a Pokedex. Since getting it, I made sure to make all of the Pokemon that I needed to steal/catch by folding the corner of each Pokemon. I flipped through the book, going through my dog-eared pages before landing on the one I wanted. I smiled in victory. I _thought_ I recognized those three Pokemon.

Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour. All Pokemon I needed; and what would you know, all found in the same place. _This_ was why I loved big cities, especially one that attracted Pokemon Trainers. One never knew just what one might come across if one watched and waited.

Replacing my small book back into my pocket, I turned on my Xtransceiver and pointed it at the now dancing men and their dancing Pokemon. Sure, there were street performers in Hoenn, but one didn't see them every day. I shook my head as I tagged the Pokemon and, to be on the safe side, the men as well. It took a minute, but I didn't receive any suspicious looks as I wasn't the only one pointing my Xtransceiver at them. I just happened to be the only one to not be recording them.

With them tagged and saved, I allowed myself to enjoy the show. This would be the last time that these three men would be able to dance together with these three particular Pokemon, so I might as well enjoy the show while it lasted. When they were done, I clapped along with everyone else, the three men and Pokemon bowing at the attention. I laughed as one started blowing kisses to the crowd, the other two nudging him with shouts.

And just as fast as they came, they recalled their Pokemon and went on their way, high-fiving one another as they walked. I almost felt bad about planning on stealing their Pokemon. Almost.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I ended up staying quite a few hours at the park, having walked around and bought some food and drinks as the day went on. Besides the dancing group and their Pokemon, I was able to tag another three Pokemon, as well as five other Trainers. All in all, I wasn't disappointed by the time I spent. I'd be a busy bee come nightfall.

Just as I was licking my fingers from the cotton candy I had bought, a group of the strangest looking people I've ever seen walking in the park, heading straight towards the fountain. I paused and watched, fascinated, as the group who looked like knights from a story book marched. The two flags they carried caught my attention, the P surrounded with a pathetic looking coat of arms standing out just as much as their outfits.

Were these members of the infamous Team Plasma? If so, they weren't much to look at. I was never so glad that the Deck of Card's uniforms weren't go _gaudy_, and even more so that Royals got to pick out their own uniforms as long as their House Crest and position. I didn't know what I'd do if I was forced to wear such clothing.

Once they reached the fountain, they split from the close circle they had been walking in, and from that circle stepped an older man with no hair, a tall hat sitting on his bald head. For clothes he wore royal looking dark blue robes, the edges lined gold. And there, on the center of his robed chest, was the Plasma Crest. If I was any guess, he would be one of the Plasma's Royals. In any case, he was high up there if he needed a six men guard.

He looked over those of us left, eyes sweeping over me like everyone else he looked at. I breathed out the air that I didn't realize I had been holding in, eyes narrowed behind my fake glasses.

"People of Castelia! Hear me, Grom, of the Seven Sages!" He shouted to the people, and as expected in situations like these, the people in the park moved closer to the elderly man, forming a loose circle around him to hear better. Not wanting to stand out, I, too, moved closer. Besides, I could use this as an excuse to study a high member of Plasma, even if he was calling himself a member of the Seven Sages. Maybe the Seven Sages were like the Deck's Royals?

"I have come here, today, to tell you of the great injustice that is being done to Pokemon, by our own hands! People claim that they love their Pokemon, yet it is people who keep them contained, _locked_, in a prison that they cannot escape from! It is _we_, _humans_, so force them to battle for out amusement, force them to compete in tournaments where they are injured!"

By now, some in the crowd were murmuring, hushed whispers racing from person to person in either denial or aghast realization.

"How can we, the human race, claim to love Pokemon when we force pain on them? Force imprisonment? Do they have any say in what they do? Do you, _Trainers_, allow them the chance to _choose_ what they do? No!" He yelled out without warning, making quite a few in the growing crown jump.

"You catch them, command them, and then injure them! Of course, you heal them, but only to hurt them in battle once more! It becomes a never ending cycle for these helpless, but blindly loyal Pokemon! We humans tell ourselves that they don't mind the fighting, but how are they to speak up if you won't listen to their voice? We abuse their blind loyalty, their so called _friendship_, just so that you may be entertained!"

I stood there, wide-eyed, listening to this man spout out his beliefs onto the people of Castelia. He started repeating his words, changing up the order, but his pure passion made up for it. The people around me increased their whispers, some agreeing and some disagreeing. And as I stood listening, I found myself being torn on what he was saying. Could he be telling the truth? But it wasn't like I had my Pokemon _battle_ for me; just help in my job as Joker. Despite myself, I began questioning myself. Question how I treated my Pokemon. Sure, I heard about what Team Plasma stood for, but to _hear_ one of them speak on the matter, and with so much _passion_…

I shook myself both mentally and physically, breaking away from those thoughts. I _knew_ my Pokemon, just as my Pokemon knew me. And I knew that while what this man, one of the Seven Sages, was saying might apply to some, it _didn't_ apply to me. I grew up with my Pokemon, had been working alongside some of them for _years_. Then I remembered Alex's words from the previous night; how Team Plasma was hypocritical in that their members owned Pokemon despite their urging for Trainers to give the Pokemon up.

Once more, my mind focused on my surroundings, reminded of my current mission; reminded of Ace waiting for me back in Hoenn, of the Spades, of the men and women that worked under my command, waiting for my return. Most importantly, I remembered the Deck of Cards as a whole. I didn't come here to question my beliefs; I came here to both represent the deck of Cards and to begin the Deck's slow undertaking of Unova. And I wasn't about to let them down. Like _hell_ was I going to let them down!

I gave a hard stare to the elderly man who still spoke of the human race's mistreatment to the Pokemon species. This man, no matter how much I hated to admit it, had me questioning myself for a second. If all of the Sages were like this, I would have to watch myself around them. It wouldn't due to start second guessing myself again; not now, not ever.

Watching him talk, I raised my Xtransceiver and tagged a few of the Plasma members surrounding him. If they were like every other 'secret' organization out there, then they all used the same general Pokemon. It would be beneficial to not only me, but to the Deck to gain as much information on them as I could. While it wasn't required of me, Ace was never one to turn down information if it didn't get in the way of the mission. Since I'd be stealing their Pokemon, something that I would do anyways, it could even be thought of a 'Since-They-Were-There' sort of thing.

I gave them one last look before breaking away from the group of people, not worrying about being singled out since I wasn't the only one leaving. Besides, there were more than enough people coming over to see what the commotion was all about to be bothered by my leaving.

I had work that needed to be done.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter has been ****Dagzar**** approved.**

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Nine_

I got back late that night, exhaustion setting in something fierce. It was with half a mind I booted up my laptop, signed on, and deposited the stolen Pokemon on my flash drive. It had been a long night, but worth it. One by one, I had scouted out those I had tagged earlier and with help from Banette, we went in and took their many Pokemon. Without Banette's Shadow Sneak, getting around the large city would have taken at the very least two separate nights. As things stood, I was able to hit up the ten I had tagged, Plasma members included, in a matter of hours.

It was with a satisfied smirk I crossed off the three monkeys off my list, as well as the Pokemon called Sandile. Who would have guessed robbing the Pokemon from those two Plasma members would have brought me one step closer to completing my task? Only twenty Pokemon left.

Now, though, it was time to sleep. I would need all the energy I could get for tomorrow. Exploring the area surrounding Castelia, after all, would take some time.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hey Colbie, come check this out," Alex said the next morning, waving me over to his TV. "They're saying that over twenty Pokemon were stolen last night from eight different Trainers all over the city! Can you believe that? You just might have some competition out there," he joked. I rolled my eyes.

"Please, no one can compete against me. I can do that, easy, if I wanted." I did, in fact, not that he would know.

"So, when _are_ you going to start your, ah, _mission_?" He questioned, treating the word mission as he would have the police storming his house if spoken any louder.

I turned my back to him to hide my smirk, heading towards the kitchen. "Today, actually. I'm going to be heading out to see about catching some wild Pokemon around the city."

"Eh? Catch? So you don't just steal Pokemon?" Alex questioned, turning his body on the couch to eye me with suspicion as I rummaged through his cupboards.

I turned to him with fake shock. "Oh course not! I always try to catch wild Pokemon more than stealing them!" That was such a bold faced lie. Ace would have been laughing his ass off if he heard it.

Now it was his turn to look shocked. "O-oh. I didn't know that…"

I nodded my head, giving him a mock look of seriousness. "Don't worry; many assume that just because I come from the Spades, I steal every Pokemon I get them." I shook my head with fake disappointment. "I mean, do I really look like the sort of girl who _enjoys_ stealing another's Pokemon?"

"Well, no, I suppose not." His response was uncertain as he looked me over. With my wig in place and bogus glasses on, it helped my claim of looking innocent.

I sniffed. "Thank you." I turned my back to him once more so he would miss my Banette inspired grin. It was always fun making people second guess themselves; even more so when the said person wasn't me.

With a snap I shut the fridge door, heading to my room to grab my things.

"Are you getting ready to leave, Colbie?" Alex called after me through my door. I rolled my eyes as my Pokemon looked at me as I moved about the small room. I didn't bother to answer him as I packed everything I'd need, placing them in the red backpack I had bought yesterday. With the backpack on, I moved over to the dresser, picking out Kecleon's Pokeball from the misleading book. My Pokemon grinned at seeing his Pokeball, but Banette and Ralts frowned. I recalled my grinning Kecleon as I knelt down to be leveled with my other three Pokemon, Banette and Castform floating down to either side of Ralts.

"I need you three to stay here and keep an eye on things while I'm gone, okay? I can't have you all on me if something goes wrong, and I don't want to leave Flygon and Sharpedo in their Pokeballs unprotected. Once I know what I'm dealing with, I'll see about bring you all with me, 'kay?"

There was some grumbling, but the three accepted, taking their roles of watching over Flygon's and Sharpedo's Pokeball with the upmost seriousness. I smiled at them and reminded them of the Poke Food before leaving, passing a questioning Alex on my way.

"I should be back before night fall, thought don't be worried if I stay out later!" I called to him as I pushed open his front door, closing it on his face as he tried talking to me again. Sheesh, so annoying.

Like yesterday, I hopped on one of the city's buses, riding it until the driver told me I reached the closest that I would get to Route 4, my destination. I thanked him after he gave me directions, waving at him as he drove off. After being stuck on the bus for well over an hour, with nothing else to do but talk to the driver, we had sparked up a small friendship. He thought I was making a trip to Nimbasa City, so had more than happy to tell me what kind of Pokemon to expect on my way there to better protect myself.

I wanted to laugh at the mention of Darumaka, it being a Pokemon on my list. At this rate, it would take no time at all to find all of the Pokemon I needed.

It took another half hour of walking to reach the outskirts of the city and I was surprised when the terrain changed from the steel and concrete of the city to the wastelands of the desert. Sand started dusting the ground, the few trees that grew disappearing. As I got closer and closer to exiting the city, I was reminded more and more of the desert back in Hoenn. I really hoped I wouldn't need goggles here, though.

To my relief, while goggles would have been nice, they weren't mandatory. I was able to walk through the desert with practiced ease, my fake glasses being the only real problem for me as they were constantly covered in a thin layer of dust. Besides annoyance, I made sure to avoid any confrontations with the Trainers who were roaming about. For the moment, all I cared about was finding and catching a Darumaka. While I could throw Ultra Ball after Ultra Ball, it would be a lot quicker if I could send out Kecleon to fight, but I would only risk doing such if there was no one else around.

I really needed to catch a Pokemon I could use in situations like these. It wasn't as if anyone would ask to see my Trainer's License, after all, outside the city. Mind made up, I added catching a Pokemon for myself on my list for the day.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It was slow going, traveling through the desert. I walked at a slow pace to keep a look out for any tracks that a Pokemon would have left behind. In some ways, catching a Pokemon in the desert was easy. Tracks, for one, made finding a Pokemon a hell of a lot easier than in the mountains or near water. On the other hand, having to deal with the sun and doing your best _not_ slip in the sand (or sinking for that matter) made it a place I only went when strictly needed.

Only ten minutes in and I was cursing Ace, the sun, and the damn sand for getting into my shoes. And I still hadn't found any Pokemon.

"Hey there! You want to battle?" A voice called out behind me. I froze then added Trainers to my list to curse. Turning around, I came face to face with a young woman, a little older looking than me. She had a large backpack on, so much so I silently applauded her for being able to wear it and still move. "Name's Jill!" She introduced, holding out a hand to shake.

"Ah…Colbie," I replied, shaking her offered hand. "And sorry, but I don't have any Pokemon."

"Eh? Really? Then what are you doing out here?" He tone was more shocked than suspicious, her eyes curious.

I smiled and rubbed the back of my head, my mind going through every possible answer until I landed on one. This could be to my benefit if I worked it just right.

"It's a long story, and I don't want to keep you. Besides, you'd just find it silly." I ducked my head to hide my smile.

"Don't worry, I have nowhere to be! Besides, now you got me curious!"

"Well, if you say so…" I forced my grin into a shy smile. "My mom tried to keep me from getting a Pokemon, but since I'm going to be turning sixteen soon, my dad talked her into letting me leave for my journey. The only requirement she gave, though, was that I had to catch my own starter. She thinks that since I don't have a Pokemon to help me, and no Trainer friends, I won't be able to do it." I frowned before giving Jill a determined look. "I'm not going to let it stop me, though! I've waited almost sixteen years for this chance, so I'm not about to give up now!"

Jill blinked then gave a wide grin. "Well, if that's the case, then I'll help you!" She exclaimed, her hands on her hips.

I blinked wide eyed at her, fake amazement and awe lighting up my face and eyes. "R-really? You'll really help me catch my starter?"

"Of course!" She gave a laugh. "What kind of Trainer would I be if I didn't help other Trainers or kids who want to become one?"

I gave a wide grin, one I didn't have to fake. And this was why being able to act was a necessary part of the job.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"So, what Pokemon did you have in mind? A Darumaka maybe? Or are you more interested in a water-type?" Jill asked beside me, her Petilil riding on her shoulder.

"Any of them is fine by me, really. I'm just so excited about finally being able to catch one that I don't care which one becomes my starter."

"I can understand that. I still remember getting Petilil, here." She rubbed the top of her Pokémon's head, the little Petilil letting out a pleased sound at the attention. "In fact, she was the one who pi—", Jill cut herself off, extending her arm out to stop me. I opened my mouth to question her, but she brought a finger to her lips and motioned with her other hand towards the sand before us. I was confused by her sudden actions, but studied the sand, trying to spot what she saw.

And then, I saw them. A pair of brown eyes, rimmed in black, only just sticking out from the sand, and half covered nostrils sticking out just enough for the Pokemon to breathe. If I hadn't been studying the sand, I would have missed them. I felt ashamed for my foolish slip-up, this being something a new recruit would miss, not the Joker. Had I really allowed myself to become so distracted to make rookie mistakes? It was something I would not allow again.

"How do you feel about a Sandile becoming your starter, Colbie?" Jill whispered, slowly reaching up for her Petilil to set her on the sand. With a joyful skip her Pokemon moved to stand before us.

I shook my head in response, not trusting myself to speak at the moment. Since I already had that certain species stored, keeping one for myself wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Then get a Pokeball ready to throw while Petilil battles," Jill replied, grinning at me. I forced myself to return it, not wanting to make Jill suspicious of my now. Once again, I submerged myself in my current act. There would be time to berate myself later.

"Then here goes to getting you a starter! Petilil, start things off with a Magical Leaf!" Like expected of the move, it hit head on. The Sandile let out a cry as it unburied itself, shaking it head once free of the sand. It glared at Petilil before moving in for a Bite. Petilil just danced out of the way with a joyful cry, leaving a frustrated Sandile in her wake. From there, the battle turned into a bizarre version of the game tag. At least Petilil looked to be enjoying herself.

While Jill battled the Sandile for me, I shrugged my backpack off one shoulder and rummaged through it for the regular red and white Pokeballs I had packed. I could have used a Great Ball or Ultra Ball, but I didn't want to risk it in front of Jill. I enlarged one, slipping another three into my pants pocket. Just as I put back on my backpack, the Sandile was thrown back by a powerful Magical Leaf, the second time hit by the move. As it looked to be catching its breath, I clumsily threw my ready Pokeball, nailing the Pokemon on its tail.

"Good throw, Colbie!" Jill congratulated, giving me a thumbs up. Her Petilil twirled, crying out in joy. I ducked my head as I watched the Pokeball, and just when I thought the Pokemon was caught, the Pokeball cracked open, shattering, and the Sandile was glaring at the three of us on unstable legs.

"Don't worry, Colbie. This happens all the time when catching Pokemon. You just have to weaken them more, or if able, to cause a status problem, like sleep or paralysis. Like this!" Jill pointed at the Sandile, her Pokemon turning her attention back towards it. "Petilil, use Sleep Powder!"

Petilil did as her Trainer asked, moving closer to the Sandile to sprinkle the fine powder on it. Sandile tried to get out of the way, but Petilil followed after until she successfully dusted the Pokemon with her Sleeping Powder.

I waited for the powder to take effect before throwing another Pokeball. I had to hold in a laugh as the sleeping Pokemon once again broke free. Instead, I turned to Jill with a confused and depressed look. She looked flustered, her face reddening.

"Well," she started, running a hand through her hair, "that's unexpected, but it also happens! Don't worry, though!" She flashed me a weak grin and gave another thumbs up. "The Sandile won't be able to resist again! After all, the third time's the charm, right?"

I gave her an unconvinced nod, my eyebrows furrowed as I eyed the sleeping Sandile.

"Petilil, weaken it some more by using Absorb!" Jull commanded her Pokemon. I once more got a Pokeball ready to throw as the little Petilil sucked some of the Sandile's energy for herself, finding the situation amusing despite myself. I never thought in my wildest dreams having someone trying (and failing) to teach me how to catch a wild Pokemon would be so much fun. I was the one who usually did the teaching, after all.

With a hidden smile, I threw the Pokeball at the weak and still sleeping Sandile, nailing the Pokemon head on. With a loud _THWAWK_ the Pokemon was absorbed for a third time. I wasn't the only one to let out a cheer when the Pokeball clicked shut, Jill pumping a fist in the air while Petilil danced on top the sand.

"We did it! We did it! I got a starter!" I cheered out, dancing in a circle with fake enthusiasm. Jill joined me, grabbing my hands and spin with me, laughing.

Her Petilil moved over towards us, carrying the Pokeball in her small stubby appendages that she called hands. She lifted the Pokeball up towards me with a pleased cry, smiling as wide as her Trainer. With a laugh that wasn't all bogus, I bent and took the offered Pokeball, thanking the small Pokemon. Holding the Pokeball against my chest with both hands, I smiled at Jill shyly.

"Thank you very much for helping me!" I blurted out, bowing my head. She just laughed, making no attempt to hide her self-satisfaction at my actions and words. I decided to add to it, if only to make things easier on my part. "If you never called out to me, I might never have caught a Pokemon." I added shyly, peeking at her through the wig's bangs.

She grinned and rubbed the back of her neck, reaching down to pick up her Pokemon in one smooth action.

"No problem, really. Anything to help out a future Trainer." Her Pokemon cried out her agreement from her position between Jill's arms and chest.

I nodded, slipping my new Sandile in my Pocket along with Kecleon. "I'd offer to have that battle with you now, but I don't think either Sandile or I am ready."

"Of course, of course! I understand. You owe me one, though," she said with a wink. I just grinned and nodded once more. "Now, do you think you'll be able to make it back into town alright on your own, or should I go with you?"

I shook my head, taking the second to come up with a answer she would buy. "No need. You've already helped me more than enough; I don't want to take anymore of your time." When she opened her mouth to object, I continued on with an embarrassed air. "Besides, if I tell my mom that you pretty much caught Sandile for me, she'll just say that since I didn't do all the work, it doesn't count." I looked at her with a worried look. "Please don't take this the wrong way! I can't thank you enough, but my mom—!"

"I get it, no worries," Jill cut in, waving one hand in front of her. We shared a smile before I gave them both a heartfelt goodbye, turning around to head back to the city, a pleased smirk overtaking my grin. I'd be sure to come back later for a Darumaka when Jill wasn't there to restrict my actions. She was nice, to be sure, but that didn't mean I wanted her to be hanging around. Besides, I more than paid back her kindness by not making any plans on stealing her Pokemon from her. For me, that was quite a bit given in my business.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I stepped back in Alex's house later that afternoon, still pleased with how things turned out. I greeted Alex with a grin, one he returned with a weak, almost forced smile. Despite my curiosity, I didn't comment on it; it didn't concern me. Instead, I raided his kitchen, loading up on sugar filled treats.

If there was one thing I learned throughout my time with the Spades, it was the best way to greet a new Pokemon onto your team was through food. No Pokemon refused the chance to eat some good (but unhealthy) food, and it gave them a chance to meet with my team and I over less stress-filled settings.

"So, get any Pokemon today?" Alex questioned behind me, standing on the edge of the kitchen and the dining room. I tilted my head at him, noticing the way he held himself and how it spoke of his discomfort. I couldn't help but wonder just what had changed from when I left this morning to now. It was obvious _something_ happened; all I needed to find out was _what_.

For the time being, I played along.

"Yep," I smiled at him, shifting the bags of food I held. "I was able to catch a Sandile."

"Oh? Just a Sandile? Nothing else?"

I mentally narrowed my eyes, rubbing the back of my neck in faux embarrassment in reality. Just what was he up to?

"Yeah, well, being in a new region, I don't want to rush in and mess up, you know? I'm hoping tomorrow that I'll have a couple more Pokemon, but a Sandile is a start in any case."

"Well," Alex paused to clear his throat, "I'm sure that you'll be able to catch more Pokemon before you leave. Are you not going to be stealing any?"

I blinked at him, putting on a confused look at his line of questioning. Just _what_ happened while I was away?

"I don't know. I might later on, but I'm hoping not to."

Relief and confusion very briefly flashed through his eyes, one after the other, and if I hadn't been watching for them, I would have missed it.

"Ah. Well, I'll stop pestering you and let you eat." He nodded to me before turning around and walking towards the living room.

'_What the hell?'_ I thought as I headed to my room, eyes narrowed. It took some juggling, but I opened my door without dropping anything. The second I was in and shut the door behind me Ralts was flying at me. Without thought I dropped the bags of food to catch her, Banette and Castform close behind. Normally, I would have thought they simply missed me. This time, though, Ralts sent on overpowering feeling of worry towards me, her eyes wide.

I felt myself tense at the strong emotion and had to force myself to calm down. I rubbed the top of Ralts head, stepping over the dropped and forgotten food to sit at the foot of my bed. Whatever my Pokemon had to tell/show me, it wasn't bound to be good, so I wanted to be ready.

If I was lucky, it would explain Alex's recent behavior.

Without a seconds waste, pictures and emotions that weren't my own flashed through my mind. I opened my mind, readily accepting the images and feelings, more than use to Ralts way of showing her memories to me. On the few occasions Ralts wasn't with me, like now, anything she saw or felt, be it her emotions or emotions from others, she would share with me if it affected us in anyway. It was useful, even if she couldn't project sound or show her memories like a movie clip.

The images sped by at a rate so fast I couldn't make heads or tails of them, but then they started to slow. Then, at one particular image, she 'froze' it so I could fully see what he saw at that one second of time. It was of Alex and a young looking man, about my age. He would have looked like a regular guy, with his red hair and casual outfit if not for one thing which stood out. On his blue shirt, just over his heart, was a crest I would never forget.

It was Teams Plasma's crest. And Alex looked like he was talking to him as one would their superior.

Without warning, Alex was outlined in a faint blue light. With the light came emotions I knew were Alex's at that particular moment. It was guilt, as well as uncertainty. Then, the outline shifted to the Plasma member, his emotions taking the place of Alex's. Whereas Alex was feeling large amounts of guilt, the Plasma runt was feeling smug and arrogant.

Whenever someone felt such high amounts of those emotions, nothing good ever came out of it.

The image shifted then, and after I looked over the image, the next came. In no time at all, the images played out in such a way I might as well have been watching a flip book. What really made me pause was Alex pointing in Ralts' general direction, or in other words, my room. I didn't like the look the Plasma member sent, it making my skin crawl. With that certain image came the feeling of triumph, his smugness increasing even more so.

Not good. Not good at all.

Before I knew it, Ralts left my mind, the images and foreign emotions leaving in place of my own. My mind worked a mile a minute, going over everything Ralts showed me. I looked up at Banette and Castform, both looking worried in their own ways. It was obvious Ralts wasn't the only one who heard or saw Alex and the Plasma member together. I looked back to Ralts.

"Ralts, love, I need you to talk to me, now. Is Alex working for Plasma? Is he planning on turning against us?" I tried to be soothing, not let my own panicking emotions out, but Ralts felt them anyways. With wide eyes, she nodded.

'_Spy. Us. Report. Them. Trap. You.'_ The words were broken, hard to follow, and whispered, but there. They were all I needed to move. In a flurry of actions I set Ralts on the bed, moving to grab my suitcase. I lifted it on the bed, zipping it open. By habit I had kept a majority of my things packed, so it made packing all the easier. With a racing mind, I moved around the small room, gathering my things and placing them within my suitcase. My Pokemon, understanding what I was doing, raced to help me pack. In minutes we were done, Banette holding onto the book that held all of the Pokeballs, as well as Flygon and Sharpedo, no longer smiling his insane smile.

He knew this was no time for smiling, and I cursed Alex and Plasma for putting us in this situation.

Since it was not even evening yet, we wouldn't slip away for another few hours. That was fine by me, though. I could use the time to calm down and plan. And when Alex fell asleep, I could rummage through his house and take things that could be sold for money. Since I didn't have much of Unova's currency, I would need everything I could get my hands on. And food. We would need food.

If it also acted as a form of revenge against Alex, well…

I inhaled, held it, and then slowly exhaled. Repeat. Now was not the time to freak out. So what if I was now stranded in a foreign Region, without having even a contact to house me? So what if I had to change my appearance, maybe steal a wig, because I could no longer go around looking like 'Colbie'?

And so what if I now had to find my own way out, since my only passport would no doubt be watched once I left?

I can do this; I'll continue on with my mission despite the setback. I didn't spend eight years of my life training by the previous Joker, then the last two _being_ the Joker, only to quit and freak out when I was turned on. My processor would be ashamed; _Ace_ would be ashamed. No; I just needed to breath and remember my training.

I can do this. Right?

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** So, this chapter is a bit of a filler. Sorry 'bout that. Next chapter should be better.

**This chapter has been ****Dagzar**** approved.**

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Ten_

As night began to fall, and Alex was preoccupied with making us dinner, I retreated to my room. It had been difficult, pretending to not let on that I was aware Alex was working with Plasma, but I wasn't about to let myself slip up now. I had continued to play the happy, carefree Colbie that Alex knew me as, all the while making a mental innovatory on what of his I could take with me. His unease made sense now though, as well as all of his forced smiles and awkward attempts at questioning me.

Briefly, I wondered if he even had a choice in working with Plasma, if he was given the option of taking me in only to spy on me. From the emotions that Ralts had picked up, he seemed regretful and full of guilt. However, I wasn't going to risk either my mission or my Pokemon based on his emotions. He might feel regretful of his actions, but he was still performing them.

I powered up my laptop, Ralts hanging on my back with her head peeking over my shoulder, Banette and Castform floating over my other shoulder, and Kecleon sitting by my side. I had delayed long enough in telling Ace; this was something that he needed to know. It took only minutes for me to log on and even less time to contact Ace. When his face appeared, I let out a soft sigh.

Before he had the chance to open his mouth, I spoke. "We have a problem."

His eyes widened before narrowing, his previous easygoing look shifted to one of seriousness. "Report."

"A member of Team Plasma came by today while I was out, but Ralts, Banette, and Castform were here and witnessed the meeting between the member and Alex. When I returned, Ralts showed me her memory of the event and was able to tell me that Alex agreed to house me to spy on me for Plasma, and then later trap me. I'm unsure of what they mean by trapping."

Ace gave a slow nod as he listened, his eyes closed in thought. I remained silent, waiting for him to both process what I told him and plan on our next move.

"Hmm." He folded his hands and rested his chin on them, eyes open once more. "With your position compromised, and a plan to trap you made but still unknown, it would be safest for you to disappear."

I nodded. "Already packed and ready to leave."

"Of course. Good. Once Alex, and in turn Plasma discovers you missing, however …" He left his sentence hanging. We both knew what he wasn't saying, but I finished his sentence anyways.

"It won't end well for me." My look was grim, but determined.

"Right."

We sat in silence, him safely back in Hoenn, and I in Unova, trapped. A knock on the door broke the silence and I shot Ace a look.

"Colbie, dinners ready!" Alex called through the door.

"Okay, I'll be out in a second! Thanks!" My chirpy tone was the complete opposite of my bleak face. I waited until I heard his footsteps disappear before speaking again, my voice lowered. "I don't know when I'll next be able to contact you."

"I understand. Your safety and getting you out is the most important thing right now. You need to find somewhere to stay that won't cause problems." I nodded, already aware of this. "You need to do what you do best and blend in until we figure something out." Ace's eyes were hard, his lips pressed. "If you can, contact me once a week. If more than two weeks go by without hearing from you, I'll assume the worst."

My throat felt dry, knowing it was possible. "Right."

He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. "Good luck, and may you come back safely to us." And just like that, the connection went dead. With shaking hands, I turned off my laptop, closing it.

When I said that I wanted a challenge, this wasn't what I meant, but what kind of Joker would I be if I turned it down? I clenched and unclenched my hands, taking deep breaths. With a fake smile, I set my laptop aside and stood, smoothing down the front of my shirt, ready to face Alex for the last time.

The Plasmas wanted to play? Fine, I'd play. Just don't blame me when I don't follow their rules.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

There are many rules that one went by when living off the land. A big one is knowing how to scavenge for food, being able to tell what's poisonous and what's not. Another is finding clean water, or at least, how to purify dirty water. Another big one, though commonly overlooked by those with little experience, was the amount of baggage you took. For those that had little muscle, it made carrying around large amounts difficult, slowed them down. Of course, the older you got, and the more experience and muscle you gained, the more you were able to take with you without it slowing you down or causing a problem.

While I hadn't been forced to live off the land for a while, I was still capable of doing such. It was something one didn't tend to forget.

When it came to my stolen goods from Alex, I was quick in selling them to multiple pawn shops throughout the city while still under the disguise of Colbie. What I took didn't bring in a lot, but enough money for me to get started. After all, it wasn't like I could steal everything I needed.

Technically I _could_, but doing such would reveal my movements to those that might be looking for them. It was a long shot, but I knew that it could be done by those determined enough. Ace was proof of such when tracking down rival thieves for me.

I had removed my wig, glasses, and brown contact once I was done selling Alex's things, changing my outfit as well. I kept them all on me if I needed them in the future, and so they wouldn't be found by someone who could connect them back to me. For the moment, I was going as myself. That would change once I got the chance.

With money in pocket, I readjusted my campers backpack. It was the one item that I had stolen since leaving Alex's house, needing to ditch my suitcase for something more practical. As I walked, I planned. I would have to start training up my new Sandile for when I ran into those who wanted to battle. Maybe even catch another Pokemon for added protection.

Since I no longer had a safe room, a base of operations, I could no longer let out most of my Pokemon as I pleased. It was already going to be hard enough letting them out to feed, never mind work off their excess energy.

I ran a hand through my hair, holding in a sigh. At present, I was heading back towards the desert that I had caught Sandile in. Since catching him yesterday, I had only been able to let him out long enough to heal him. My hope for introducing him to my other Pokemon and bonding over food was gone at this point. Now, I'd just take what I could get.

It took some time to get back to the edge of the city, time used for making plans, back up plans, and back up back up plans. I also kept my eyes sharp, watching for any Team Plasma members. If they were smart, they wouldn't walk around in outfits that gave them away, but for all I knew they were fools who felt they could wear their ghastly uniforms and be unnoticed. I doubted it, but wasn't about to cross it off my list, either. From what I saw, and from what Alex had told me (if I could even believe him), then it wasn't unheard of Plasma to appear, give a speech, then leave. It was at those moments that I'd need to be extra careful.

Before I knew it I was standing on sand, my eyes squinted at the bright sun light. I silently added a hat to my list of needed items before beginning my hike, hoping to get through the desert by day's end. Maybe even catch a Darumaka. My main plan while traveling, however, was to start training up Sandile. If I wanted the Pokemon anywhere near the level of my other Pokemon, then we had quite the workout before us.

Since I knew what to look for, it didn't take long to come across another Sandile. With a smirk of a grin, I released my own Sandile, the Pokemon looking happy to be back in the desert. When he spotted the still buried Sandile he gained a curious air. He looked back at me before turning back to the covered wild Sandile.

"Ready for your first battle, Sandile?" I asked him, to which my new Pokemon tilted his head, still starting at the other Sandile. I waited another second for any other reaction before letting out a sigh. "Very well then. Start things off with a…" I trailed off, pulling out my miniature Pokedex handbook to look up my Pokémon's moves. I hadn't had the time to memorize them, much to my embarrassment. "Leer. Start things off with a Leer, Sandile!"

There was a pause before my Pokemon shuffled forward, and though I couldn't see it, gave the other Sandile the ordered move. The sand covering the other Sandile shifted when the Pokemon tensed, then proceeded to slide off the Sandile as it rose. It gave a nervous look towards my Pokemon.

"Good job, Sandile! Now, go in for a Bite!"

Sandile just turned his head to look at me, gave a huff, and started burrowing in the sand. I stared, open mouth, at my misbehaving Pokemon. He…he wasn't going to listen to me?

Right. Pokemon sometimes do that, don't they? I'm so use to working with and receiving Pokemon from the Spades, I forgot for a second there that not all Pokemon listen right off the bat. Well, damn. That's not good. I glared at my buried Pokemon, the other Sandile having run when my Pokemon indicated that he wasn't going to be fighting anytime soon. I covered my eyes with a hand, wondering how I would get past this setback. How do the guys in the Spades tame a Pokemon? And why have I never bothered to find out?

The sound of shifting sand was all the warning that I got before a voice called out to me. "A new Pokemon, huh?" The voice was male, and when I turned to face him, I was met with a rather handsome man about my age. He had ruffled dark brown hair, just as brown eyes, and tanned skin. His clothes were practical for our current position; a camper's backpack much like my own on his back. And there, around his waist, was a Poke belt filled with Pokeballs.

I couldn't help my blush. In my job profession, one didn't get a lot of chances to start a relationship with the intent of it lasting long. Being with someone lower ranked than you only caused issues. On the other hand, there was no one on my level or higher that I could date, either, and I wasn't technically allowed to date someone outside the House.

But despite all that, it didn't stop me from having a fling every now and then with a good looking guy. Ace never said anything on the issue since it wasn't unknown for him to send me on missions that had me getting closer to a guy than I would like for either information or a belonging of his. I wasn't kidding when I told young recruits that we did _anything_ and _everything_ to get what we needed. Not calling me out on my little 'get-togethers' was Ace's silent was of saying sorry to such missions. It didn't hurt that I was one of Ace's favourites, either.

I smiled at the man before me, eyes falling half-mast. With how my mind has been trained, conditioned if you will, I thought of the best way to not only get together with the man, but to also use him any other way I could.

"Yeah, is it that obvious?" I replied, running a hand through my hair in fake embarrassment. He smiled, moving to stand in front of me.

"Just a little. Getting your first Pokemon is always the hardest, especially when the Pokemon is part dark-type. They're the hardest for any Trainer to control, not just new Trainers."

"Oh? Really?" I asked with a distressed tone, looking down to my buried Sandile, his nostrils and eyes the only parts of him not covered in sand. On the inside I was rolling my eyes. I already knew that dark-types were hard to handle. My Sharpedo was proof enough of such. The only difference between Sharpedo and Sandile, besides the obvious, was that I had obtained Sharpedo already trained. That didn't keep him from doing what he wanted every now and then, even if it annoyed me. Never during a mission, but it happened.

"If you want, I can help you with your Sandile." He offered with a charming smile. "I actually have a dark-type, so I can give you some pointers."

"You would do that? But, I don't even know your name! How can I ask that of you?" My eyes widened and my tone unsure, putting up a conflicted front.

"Anything to help a pretty girl like you," he said with a wink. I blushed. "And the name's Josh."

"Mine's Katie," I held out a hand to shake, using a name from a past alias. If our handshake lasted longer than normal, neither of us said anything on the matter. "So, how long have you been a Trainer? You must be good if you have a full dark-type." I asked, wide eyed with face awe as he puffed out his chest.

"Well, I got my first Pokemon when I was six, and been training ever since. I have all eight Gym Badges, of course," he boasted, and if it weren't for the fact that he was good looking with a team that helped win eight badges, I would have scoffed at his arrogant attitude and been on my way. Instead, I worked in swiping his Pokemon along with a night with him. A '_high ranked_' Trainer such as him was bound to have interesting Pokemon.

"If you have all eight badges, what are you doing here? Aren't you going to challenge the Elite Four?"

"Of course I am! I'm here training my Pokemon up a little more before I face them is all." He talked as if this was obvious, but since I was a 'newbie', he was all so helpful in explain such to me.

I nodded in understanding, giving a shy smile. It wouldn't do me any good to act on my growing annoyance; instead, I crossed off spending the night with him. I wasn't desperate enough to lower my standards to him, even if he looked nice. "And you're still willing to help me train?"

Again he winked, but there was no blush rising up my neck this time. His personality had killed any attraction of mine for him.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I felt my eye twitch against my will. Four hours. Four hours I had to play dumb and awe struck to this egotistic man. Not even the Spade's Jack was this full of himself, and he was _paid_ to act like such. If his attitude wasn't enough, his lectures and tips were useless. Half of what he said wasn't true, or applied to another type, not dark. My Sandile, who he was supposed to be helping me tame, hated the guy more than I did, something that had me liking my grouchy and unsocial Pokemon.

Sandile almost biting Josh's hand when he had tried to 'dominate' the Pokemon to show him 'whose boss' was an image that I was not soon to forget. The fact that I had given Sandile a wicked grin when he had huffed at me in silent praise when Josh's back had been turned only made it all the more rewarding, Sandile turning smug. I wasn't about to scold him, if that's what he had been expecting, for doing something I would have done is possible. Maybe not bite his hand, per say, but…

Well, to be fair to Josh, he did have his uses. Besides his Pokemon, all of which I had tagged, I also picked his brain to get a better idea of the region from the perspective of someone who grew up here. Not that he knew I was doing such; as far as he was concerned, I was just a simple seventeen year old in admiration of his travels and wanted to know more. Like the best places to catch rare Pokemon, or places that other Trainers frequently went.

The Battle Club, in particular, caught my attention. Establishments spread all over the region, in nearly every city, that displayed the information of all the Trainers who were members for the purpose of battling? Yes, please! If Hoenn had a place where I could easily look up Trainers and their list of Pokemon for a 'battle', my life (and in extent Ace's group who usually found the Pokemon for me) would be easy sailing! If anything, it will make my mission here a whole hell of a lot easier if I could get access to those records.

Maybe I could ask Ace how to hack a computer…

By the end of the day, Josh walked me out of the desert and into Nimbasa City, Unova's sin city. I didn't have to fake my amazement, the bright lights, shows, stalls, and sheer mass of people making it a place that deserved its reputation as the world's playground for all ages. Having not only an amusement park that was the size of a small city, its multiple sports stadiums, theatres, battle areas, and Gym, it attracted quite a few people. Whereas Castelia City was centered on the businesses aspect of the region, Nimbasa was centered on the fun, more pleasing aspects.

It was my kind of place.

After exchanging (fake) numbers with Josh, I was on my own once more. I was not sad to see him go, though I would be seeing him again later that night. Not that he was aware of such.

With Josh gone, I wandered the massive city, weaving my way through the crowd with practiced ease. My fingers ghosted over the many belts of Trainers, taking Pokeballs as I went. I was never one to pass up such a golden opportunity, after all, and by the time the Trainers noticed, I was gone. As I walked, I made sure to keep an eye open for stores or stalls that sold costume supplies. It wasn't the outfits that I needed, but the wigs they would no doubt carry. I needed a new look, and fast. With a city like this, there were more than enough options, and I made sure to note the more promising ones.

Since one needed a Trainer I.D. to book a room in the Poke Center, not that I would stay there unless there was no other option, I looked for a hotel or motel. Without Pokemon to let out at night, I wasn't all for sleeping outside just yet. When Sandile learned to listen, and grew stronger, and I had the chance to catch another few Pokemon for my own use, then I would be more willing to sleep outside. Until then, it was in cities or towns. I didn't like it, spending money and leaving a trail, but in a strange region with Pokemon I didn't know without the use of a handbook, I didn't feel safe.

I hated it, but continued to soldier on to the best of my ability.

Since the sun was only just setting, and I didn't feel like turning in, I made my way over towards the amusement park. I slipped in, dodging the low security, and leisurely made my way through it. While I was playing the role of the amazed tourist, like just about everyone else, I also watched for anything that could cause potential problems. Namely, members of Team Plasma. It would be…bizarre, for them to show up at an amusement park, but I wasn't about to put it past them until I knew them better. And since I was still going around looking like myself, I was trying to be as careful as possible.

An hour later, I was ready to leave and find somewhere to spend the night. As I was walking past the giant ferries wheel, a sight made me pause and do a double take. There, in front of the ferries wheel, was a young couple, the boy with long green hair decked out in a white long sleeved shirt and tan pants, a plain baseball cap on top his head. The girl had long brown hair, also wearing a cap, with too short-shorts, white shirt and vest. As they talked, rather heatedly, back and forth, I was focused on the Pokemon at the guy's feet.

It was a small thing, about the size of a baby fox. It was dark grey in color, a few shades off from being pure black, with red puffs on the top of its head and bottom of its feet, black around its neck. A Zorua. I felt a smirk curve around my lips, my eyes falling half shut in pleasure. Well, the day hadn't been a complete waste, after all.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long. Had to rewrite parts of it, and am still waiting to hear back from my beta on the rewritten parts. So don't blame my beta if you find any spelling mistakes; those are all me. Will repost when **Dagzar** gets back to me.

**Edited: 2/29/12**

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

**This chapter has been ****Dagzar**** approved.**

_Chapter Eleven_

With the Zorua out, I wasn't able to just walk by, brush up against the green-haired Trainer, and take the rare Pokemon. Instead, I tagged both Trainers and the little Zorua. I was beyond lucky to have come across the little Pokemon, so I wasn't about to let it get away from me. With them tagged, I turned away with a pleased smile, hands digging into my sweatshirt's pockets and brushing over the many minimized Pokeballs that I had lifted. As I made my way out of the amusement park I counted my haul, there being eleven minimized Pokeballs.

No doubt there would be some repeat Pokemon, but Pokemon were Pokemon.

On my way to finding a motel to stay at, I checked my Xtransceiver, bringing up the list of those I tagged. Including Josh, the green and brown-haired Trainers, and the Zorua, there were another three Trainers that I had tagged at random. I needed to make the stealing look as random as possible, no connections linking back to me. Hence, the random tags. They might have common Pokemon, or they might posses rare ones, Pokemon on my list.

I liked to think of it as a game of luck. Was I going to get lucky tonight? Or was I going to left high and dry? Despite what Ace had to say on my 'silly' game, it made my job all that more interesting and it produced results.

The motel I managed to find wasn't the best looking, but it wasn't like I would be staying there long. The room was cheap and didn't ask for an I.D., and that was all I cared about. The young woman manning the front desk didn't even pay that much attention to me, which was always a plus. I really needed to get a hold of some more wigs and contacts. And clothes; clothes are good.

The room itself wasn't all that great, but it served my needs. With the blinds shut and door locked, I released my Pokemon. Flygon had to duck his long neck to not hit the ceiling, and Sharpedo was _not_ pleased in being released in the room's small bathtub, but they were all out. I was getting ready to greet them all when Ralts noticed Sandile. With her attention on the strange Pokemon, everyone else's followed to where they were all staring down the newcomer. Sandile, not yet having been introduced to my other Pokemon, was wide-eyed at the, to him, just as strange Pokemon surrounding him.

It was a stare off; Sandile pressed up against the wall while my Hoenn Pokemon scrutinized him, Sharpedo even going so far as to press up against the bathtub to lean out for a better look. I stayed quiet, leaving my Pokemon to sort themselves out. I knew better than to get involved in this kind of situation. I learned from when I introduced Castform to the group, then only consisting of Kecleon and Ralts.

Instead, I placed my bag on the bed and began going through it, taking out what I needed for the night. I put aside food for the Pokemon, as well as my laptop and flash drive storage. Taking out a change of clothes, I swapped outfits, dressing in a waterproof black hoodie and cargo pants. With my hair tied back, I pulled up my hood, placing hairpins in such a way the hood wouldn't fall off without a good amount of force. It wouldn't do for it to come off, after all.

By the time I was ready to leave my Pokemon were talking amongst themselves. Sandile looked slightly less intimated than before, though still eyed the others with caution. It was a start.

Packing some needed last minute items, I waved over Banette and Castform. Banette joined me in a second, an eager grin in place, Castform not far behind.

"Castform, I need you to get a rain storm going for me, okay?"

My Pokemon let out a joyous cry, twirling in the air before setting to work. In an instant she was in the form of a rain drop, the sound of light rain hitting against the window growing by the second. I thanked Castform with coo.

I made sure the door was locked before turning to Ralts, Banette hanging off the back of my head. "Dinner is on the bed; make sure that everyone gets enough, 'kay?" Ralts offered a salute, my Pokemon around her perking up at the mention of food. "I'll be coming back throughout the night, but not for long. Behave when I'm gone, you lot. I don't want to come back to a destroyed room."

They all agreed in their own way, Sandile included. I gave a small smile at that. With one last nod at them, I turned to Banette. "Let's start on the motel's roof and go from there," I ordered, my ghost-type wasting no time in bringing forth a shadow to bring us to our destination.

With a made crackle from my Pokemon, we were off.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Our first stop was a costume shop. With Banette's help, we entered the shop and quickly went through their collection of wigs, hair dyes, and accessories. I placed everything in a stolen bag, not worrying about their security thanks to Banette. After ten minutes, I had everything I needed from the store. I gave a nod to Banette, my Pokemon busy trashing the shop to cover out theft; he broke open the front door before coming towards me, Shadow Sneaking us back to our motel room.

We stayed there long enough for me to drop off my stolen goods and to look over my Pokemon before leaving again. With 'shopping' out of the way, we could begin going after those I tagged.

I started with Josh, tracking down where he was staying for the night in a matter of minutes. It took even less time to arrive there. Unsurprisingly, he was staying at the local Poke Center. I sent Banette in first to scout out the area while I waited on the roof, checking my Xtransceiver while I waited for the positions of the others I had tagged. Of the six, four were staying in the Center. At this rate, I might as well raid the Poke Center while I was at it; take advantage of the situation, as it were.

It didn't take long for Banette to return to me, grabbing hold of my hand to bring me inside the building. It was dark, but Banette was quick in bringing forth a Will-O-Wisp, the glowing blue balls of fire floating above Banette and giving off an eerie glow. We were in a storage closet filled with cleaning supplies. I wrinkled my nose at the smell, quickly checking my Xtransceiver and lowering the brightness so I could use it when out in the hall. With that done, I nodded to Banette. My Pokemon extinguished the blue flames then flew past me and through the door. There was a second's pause before Banette opened the door, my signal that the coast was clear.

I was in the hallway in a flash, the storage door closed behind me. I wasted no time getting to Josh's room, Banette traveling as nothing more than glowing eyes. If I was caught, I could just play it off as a Trainer on their way to their room; if Banette was caught, however…

Arriving at the door, I double checked my Xtransceiver then waved Banette in. Before I knew it, the door opened just a crack. I wasted no time in slipping though, leaving the door opened behind me. My eyes narrowed in on Banette, who was floating over the side table next to the bed. I nodded to him, silently making my way over, keeping an eye on Josh all the while. There was a brief moment when I froze at Josh moving, my eyes widening. Banette flew over to my side in an instant to Shadow Sneak us away if need be. We both watched Josh as he turned over, mumbling incoherently. When he stilled I let out a breath.

Sharing a look with Banette, I took the remaining steps forward, took his belt instead of wasting time in removing the Pokeballs, and backed out of the room. Once back in the hall and the door closed, I removed the Pokeballs from the expensive looking belt, slipped them into the black pouch hanging off my own belt, and handed the belt to Banette. He took it with a grin, disappearing for a moment, and then reappeared once more, empty-handed.

We moved on to our next target in the Center.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

An hour later, I was leaving the Poke Center, having hit multiple Trainer's room and the back of the Center where all of the healed Pokemon were kept, waiting to be returned to their Trainer. My pouch was full, as well as two other pockets. I had gone a little over board, but I needed to get as many Pokemon as possible, as fast as possible, so I could leave Unova all the sooner. With the amount I took, the chances of some being on my list were good. Even if they weren't, they were still Pokemon of Unova.

After the Poke Center, Banette brought us back to our motel room. I was greeted with the sight the smaller Pokemon curled up on my bed, Sandile included. Flygon was lying on the floor, raising his head at my appearance. I waved at him, not wanting to wake my Pokemon. Even then, Ralts was quick in waking, sitting up from her position on lying against Kecleon's side. She rubbed at her eyes as I made my way over to the side table, removing my pouch from my belt. I opened the draw and empted the Pokeballs into it. Pouch empty, I then removed all the Pokeballs from my pockets. Even when minimized, the sheer amount of them was near overpowering. If I had to estimate, there were close to a hundred stolen Pokeballs there, ranging from regular red and white balls to Ultra Balls.

The sudden weight on my back had me smile. I turned my head just enough to see the top of Ralts'.

"Well, since I only have two more Trainers to steal from, do you want to come along, Ralts?" I questioned, even though I knew what her answer would be.

As I had expected, she perked up and agreed at once, her emotions of happiness and excitement flowing through our link to me. With a shake of my head, I replaced my once more empty pouch back on my belt, made sure the hairpins keeping my hood on were secure, and checked my Xtransceiver for the locations of my last two targets. Only the green-haired guy and one of the Trainers I had randomly tagged were left.

I decided to go after Mister Green first, wanting to get the Zorua to cross off my list. With that decided, I zeroed in on his location. I gave a tsk at seeing he was no longer in the city, but in the next town over if I was reading the map right. Well, damn. While I needed the Zorua, I wasn't about to go out of my way for it when I could just continue tracking it and it's Trainer. With a wrinkle of my nose, I looked up the other Trainer I tagged. Thankfully, they were still in the city.

No rest for the wicked.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It was early the next morning that I left the motel room, new blonde wig in place. Leaving my key with the man at the desk, I enjoyed the rather empty streets. With Nimbasa being a major party city, known for its long nights, I wouldn't have to worry about a crowd for another couple hours at least, and by then I'd be long gone. When last night thefts came to light, I needed to be as far away from Nimbasa as possible.

Thanks to my large haul, I was able to cross off a fair amount of Pokemon off my list. There were still the rarer Pokemon, like the green-haired Trainer's Zorua, but for others, like the region's starters, I had not just one of each, but multiple in varying forms of evolution.

So it was with a small skip in my step that I made my way out of Nimbasa and towards Marvelous Bridge.

This early in the morning, there weren't a whole lot of Pokemon running about. That was okay, though. While Sandile needed training, badly, I wasn't about to set myself up for another embarrassment in the desert. He wasn't so grouchy with me after meeting and speaking with my other Pokemon, but not willing to just give in and listen to my every command, either. Until I got the chance to actually sit down and talk with him, I'd leave him be.

I was rubbing at my tired eyes when my peace was interrupted.

There were three of them, standing in a group a little farther ahead of me. I would have passed them off as overachieving Trainers if not for their clothing. By now, I was able to recognize the Plasma Crest without pause, the same crest being on the back of two of the men's sweatshirts and on the side sleeve of the third. I really didn't want to deal with them, or give away my current look, so I ducked my head and kept pace.

Of course, I wasn't so lucky. Not now, anyways.

"Hey there, Miss," one of them spoke, making no attempt to hide the scorn in his tone. I was hesitant in whether I should stop or just keep walking, but the decision was made for me when the three moved to block my path. Before I knew it they had formed a loose circle around me. I didn't let the position bother me, knowing that if need be, I could fight my way out. Not to say I didn't let myself look worried, however. I raised my gaze, meeting the cruel blue eyes of the man before me. Despite my situation, I couldn't help but think what nice eyes he had.

"Can you please move?" My eyes darted around me, looking over the other two men. Up close, I could tell all three were older than me, if only by a couple years. They had some muscle to them, not a whole lot, but enough to put up a fight. What really caught my attention, however, was the lump at the man's side in front of me. If that was I think it was, I was in even more trouble than I originally thought. Another once over of the other two men showed similar, if smaller, lumps in their respective sweatshirt pockets.

Three armed men, who also happened to be a part of Plasma, could only mean trouble.

"Can I move? Yes, I suppose I _can_," the man in front of me drawled out, a nasty smirk curling his lips. "_Will_ I move, though, is another matter." I watched as he casually moved his hands to his side, resting over the concealed weapon. The man caught me looking, his smirk widening into a knowing grin.

I tightened my grip on the straps of my backpack. If what's said about Plasma is to be believed, then they only stole one's Pokemon. If it came to that, and from the current situation it was a high possibility, then I could hand over Sandile (my sole visible Pokemon) and track him down afterwards through my Xtransceiver. As a precaution, I always tagged my own Pokemon, and now I was never happier with the decision. I could give Sandile up, not to say I would be happy about it, but I couldn't afford to give up my backpack. There were too many items in it which couldn't be found.

If they were able to figure out my laptop and flash drive, never mind my Pokemon still stored within Juniper's book, I was done for.

"What do you want from me?" I questioned, knowing the answer but asking for image's sake.

The man's grin turned mocking, his eyes glittering with dark amusement. I wanted nothing more than to remove the look, reverse the situation, but I couldn't be rash. Not yet. I'd be no use to Ace dead, after all.

"It's quite simple, my dear. All we want is your Pokemon," he informed me, moving his gaze to my stomach, no doubt looking for a belt. I felt the urge to shiver at the look, but stomped down on it. Showing weakness to these three would _not_ be wise. I still had a part to play, no matter how much it killed me to play it.

I moved my hands to hover over my own sweatshirt pocket, it being where I kept Sandile's Pokeball. My eyes were wide as I looked from man to man, silently pleading them to leave me alone. Of course, they didn't. The man to the left of me lashed out with a hand, gripping my wrist and pulling to towards him. I had to fight back my instincts of attacking, allowing the man to restrain both my arms. In this position, I gave in to my urge to act out, though tamed. Before I could get more than a solid kick in to my restrainers' knee, blue-eyes had a small, but no less deadly, gun pointed at my forehead.

I froze, wide-eyed and tense. The third Plasma member moved forward now, taking advantage of my frozen position to search through my pockets. It didn't take long, and before I knew it he was backing away, Sandile's Pokeball in hand.

Blue-eyes lowered the aim of his gun; it no longer pointed at my head but my chest. I followed the movement, ready for anything. When blue-eyes spoke, I didn't move my gaze, watching the placement of his fingers. It one moved towards the trigger, I'd act. Until then, I'd play along.

"There now, that wasn't so difficult, now, was it?" At my silence, he gave a sigh, waving the gun at me as one would wave their finger disapprovingly at a small child. "Now, now, none of that. Consider yourself lucky, my dear. After all, you still have your life, right?" His tone was back to mocking, but he drew his gun away. I felt a relieved breath pass through my lips. "Now, my dear, there's only one last thing you need to do for me." As he spoke, he readjusted his grip on his gun. Blue-eyes flashed me one last smile, said eyes soft. "Sleep."

The butt of the gun flew towards me and I struggled against the hold on my arms, but I didn't have any more time than to ready for the hit for it to cause the least amount of damage possible before I was struck. My vision went white, then black. My last conscious feeling was being let go and falling towards the floor.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

**This chapter has been ****Dagzar**** approved.**

_**Warning**_**: This chapter contains violence, blood, and death. **Not a whole lot, and not excessively detailed, but it's there.

_Chapter Twelve_

I woke to a pounding headache, throbbing in synch with my heartbeat. The sunlight, even with my eyes closed, only served to worsen it. I couldn't help the small groan of pain that slipped past my lips, a hand moving to cover my eyes, my other hand rubbing my sore temple. The tender skin, no doubt bruised, brought back memories which were rather muddled at the moment. I gave a soft curse as they became clear; the three men, blue-eyes, a gun pointed at me, Sandile being taken, and finally, being knocked unconscious.

Knowing that I needed to get up, even if I wanted nothing more than to fall back into the land of unconsciousness, I opened one eye, then another, allowing for them to adjust to the sunlight. Seeing the sun hang high above me, instead of near the horizon, told me quite a few hours had passed. This time, I held back my groan. It was with slight effort I sat up, hunching forward. I gave a slow blink at the sight of grass beneath me. Did the Plasma members move me after knocking me out? I gave a snore at my own stupid question.

It made sense, moving me instead of leaving me in the middle of the road to be found. I would have done the same thing if in their place, but it didn't stop me from rubbing my arms at the thought of being touched when unconscious. With a shake of my head, I pushed the thought to the back of my mind; I had more important matters to deal with, such as locating my bag and going after Sandile. I felt naked without my camper backpack on or near me. A look over where I was left, however, showed no sign of my bag.

For the first time in years, I felt true panic slipping into my mind, gripping the edges as my breathing pace increased. I ignored my pounding headache; it was nothing compared to the feeling of bile rising in the back of my throat. I fought to stand up, being just a tad unsteady on my feet. Gone. It was gone, taken by the Plasma Members after being knocked out.

I searched my surroundings, looking behind trees, shifting through the tall grass, hoping beyond hope I just missed my backpack, or the Plasma members had a sick sense of humor. No matter where I looked, no matter how many times I rechecked where I woke up, I refused to believe I didn't have my backpack. It'd mean no team, no laptop, and no flash drive. No _anything_. I was completely and utterly alone. As I stood, heaving for breath, my panic drained away to cold numbness. My mind blanked. I don't know how long I stood there, eyes glazed over, before my mind began to kick back into gear.

Where once I felt nothing, anger slithered in, spreading its roots and growing in a fury I haven't felt since a Rocket member dared to kill one of my men.

My mission was compromised. My Pokemon were stolen from me. I would have blood for this. With my new mindset, I lifted my wrist and turned on my Xtransceiver. With steady hands I locked onto my Pokémon's positions. They were all in the same area, one point in my favor. I blocked out my emotions, both good and bad, placing my complete focus on my new mission. The sound of approaching footsteps and speech caught my attention, and it was with the eyes and face of a trained killer that I snapped my head to my side.

Acting on my training, I did a once over for a place to hide in. I eyed a sturdy-looking tree with assessing eyes, taking into account the lowest branch and foliage cover given. Without another second of hesitation I rushed to the tree, taking two running steps up the trunk to reach the lowest branch. With ease I pulled myself up onto the limb, climbing up another few branches for added protection.

Crouched, I leveled my breathing, using the trunk for support as I eyed what I could see of the clearing. It could be nothing, but I wasn't about to bet my life on a maybe. My paranoia paid off as not even a minute after climbing up the tree, six men walked into the clearing. My eyes narrowed at the sight of Plasma insignias on their clothes, guns in each of their hands. What had me pause was the look of the guns. I tilted my head, wondering just why they were using dart guns instead of real guns. The sound of one talking had me lean forward, listening to their every word.

"Are you sure this is where you left her?" an older male questioned another, one who looked vaguely familiar. It was hard to tell from my position, but I was sure he was one of the three who found me in the first place. Blue-Eyes?

"Yes, sir. I'm sure, sir."

My hunch was confirmed as he spoke, even if he was talking more formal than he had when with me.

The apparent leader of the group remained silent as he looked over the area, not once glancing up. I gave a sneer. No one looked up unless they had it pounded into their brain. It just wasn't a place one normally associated with a hiding place. Their loss, my gain.

"If young Damian is so sure, then it looks like our target has awoken. Search the imminent area; she might still be here. Remember, we want her alive, boys, but don't be afraid to get rough if needed," he commanded, sending four of the five other men scrambling to comply with his orders. Blue-Eyes, the one who had stayed behind, shifted the dart gun to his other hand.

"If what we're told is true, they won't stand a chance against her in close combat. They'll be lucky to even find her, much less tranquillize her."

I felt a cruel smirk spread on my lips. At least one of them knew better, though it wouldn't save him when I got the chance to 'play' with him. Whether I would kill him or not was still in the air.

"True, but that's why _we're_ here. Let them stumble around, drawing her attention, and then leave herself wide open for us to come in shoot her down." He patted the side of his dart gun. "She might be good, but we're better. Even if she's some high member of that silly Deck, she's nothing compared to a seasoned veteran."

I sneered, but did nothing else. If I hadn't sunk into my kill or be killed mode, I might have done something to prove just how wrong he was, but now wasn't the time. I needed to find out _how_ they knew it was me, and _why_ they needed to take me in.

Well, I had an idea of course, but I didn't want to assume anything so early on.

"And if we _don't_ find her, sir?" Blue-Eyes, Damian, questioned.

I wasn't certain, but from his tone, the leader seemed to be smiling.

"Then we get her when she comes for her precious Pokemon, of course."

As both the leader and Damian started walking away, following the direction the men had gone in, I made sure to stay in place well after they were out of sight and hearing distance. Even then I waited another minute longer, taking the time to study my tracking map, pinpointing my Pokémon's positions. If they thought they could trap me, they would find themselves sorely wrong.

I frowned at just how far away my Pokemon were. If I was reading the map correct, and I knew I was, my Pokemon were a little outside of Nuvema. It was well over a day's travel from where I was. More around a good solid week if I ran nonstop. So much for having a point in my favor. The fact the Plasma members had been able to get there so fast, in only a matter of hours, left little other option then the use of Pokemon. Again, they were nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

It didn't matter, though. I now had a destination. I'd worry about how to get there faster once I got away from the Plasma members prowling around, looking for me. I'd come for them later, after retrieving my team.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I ran towards and passed through Nimbasa in an hour, making my way through the desert to Castelia in another three and a half hours, having ran as much as I could with few breaks in between. When reaching the city, my lungs burned and my skin felt like it was on fire. I paused just long enough to refill my water bottle a good three times, and slow my beating heart. I didn't have my wallet on me (it being in my backpack), the only items the Plasma members leaving me with very little.

With the news of my mass theft last night being all over the news, the tension was high in the large city. As I passed through the masses I noticed Trainer's with hands spread out on their belt, covering their beloved Pokeballs. Some had gone so far as to remove them from their belt and store them in harder to reach places. If I wasn't in such a rush I would have picked some, just to show the Trainers their Pokemon weren't safe, but I had no time.

It took me a good forty-five minutes to get from one side of the city to the other, having kept my eye open for anything to get me to Nuvema faster. The sun was already beginning to set, a good chuck of the day eaten away from both being unconscious and getting to where I was. I hated the thought of stopping for the night. I couldn't even rough it, not having any form of protection against the wild Pokemon besides what I knew fighting-wise. Against a Pokemon, it wasn't much.

One would think in a city this big, there would be some form of transportation. Then again, maybe there was and I was just oblivious to it. I stopped by the closest vender, it being an ice cream stand.

"Excuse me, sir?" I called out to the middle aged man cleaning up behind the counter. He turned to face me with a sigh.

"There's no more casteliacones. You'll have to come back tomorrow." The man waves me off, turning his back to me.

"No, no, that's not what I want." The man turned, surprise on his face. I smiled. "I'm just a little lost, and was hoping you could point me in the right direction." I rubbed at the back of my head, a sheepish grin taking the place of my smile. At his amused look and nod, I let out a relieved breath. "I'm trying to find someone who can bring me as close to Nuvema as possible, but I haven't been able to find anyone yet. Know of any good places?"

The man looked upwards, his brow crinkled in thought. "Well," he started as he turned back to me, "if you want to get there as fast as possible, you can always go to Dave's Psychic Ride, though it'll cost you a bit more than if you went to Michelle's Flight Guide. It's a bit cheaper, but to get to Nuvema, it might take a couple hours."

Expensive? If given half an hour in a crowed area, price would be no problem.

"Dave's sounds great!" I beamed at the middle-aged man, making him grin. "Where can I find it?"

Five minutes later I waved as I walked away from the helpful man, both hand written directions and map in hand. And this was why one should be willing to ask for directions instead of walking around in a confused daze.

Forty minutes later, and a good deal richer, I arrived in front of Dave's Psychic Ride. With it nearing six-thirty, I was pleased to find the business still open. Pushing open the door, I stepped into the cool building. It reminded me of a travel agency, when made sense given its purpose. To greet me was an older woman, and unless her parents were particularly cruel, she wasn't the owner Dave.

She smiled when I entered, her wrinkled face and kind eyes giving off a very grandmotherly feeling. "Hello, and welcome to Dave's Psychic Ride. My name is Ruth. Where can we take you this evening?"

"Nuvema, is possible."

"Nuvema, is it? I do believe that can be arranged," Ruth said with a twinkle in her eye. As she looked down at her desk, shifting papers aside, I stepped closer, glancing at the neat desk Ruth sat at. "Ah, here is the price listing for the Nuvema area. Do you wish to arrive in the town itself, or somewhere around the town?"

"The town is fine, thank you," I replied with a smile.

From there, it took only five minutes for the price to be discussed, money handed over, and the Pokemon chosen for me to go from standing in the middle of Dave's to the outskirts of Nuvema. The Pokemon who had Teleported me, an Elgyem is memory served correct, left not even a second later.

It was a nice town; it looked nice, at least. From where I had been dropped off, I had a clear view of some of the people going about their business. It amazed me how none had an idea of what was going on around them; what was _truly_ going on I should say. I didn't know whether to pity them for their ignorance, or envy them.

I took a deep breath, eyes closed. I needed to focus. Any slips up and I'd be done for. On my own, I'd need to bring all of my training to the forefront of my mind. I wouldn't fail my Pokemon; I wouldn't fail Ace. Both were depending on me and like hell was I going to go down without a fight.

Okay. Eyes opened once more, I moved. First things first; I needed a weapon. The chances of finding a gun lying around were low to none, so I settled on a knife. It would require me to be up close and personal, but I wasn't about to enter Plasma territory unarmed. I didn't like to kill. Unlike other, more bloodthirsty, members of the Deck, I was never one to kill for the thrill of it. I'd only do so when ordered, or when there was no other alternative.

Now, I was left with no other option. I'd once more be forced to bloody my hands, taking the life of another.

Staying to the edges of the town, I waited for an opportunity to present itself. I could afford the wasted time, having arrived far sooner than planned. While I would take the life of a Plasma member, I wasn't about to take the life of an innocent. If avoiding such meant waiting till the town was asleep, then so be it.

And so I waited. I kept on the move, watching for any openings. An opportunity presented itself as a pawn shop closed. By now it was ten in the evening. Most of the other shops were closing their doors as well, and by eleven the strip the pawn shop was located on was dark. With my hood drawn up and my wig's hair tucked away, I made my move.

I went behind the building, not wanting to go through the front if possible. As I went I palmed my hair pins, already unbent and reformed into a makeshift lock picking set. They were far from the tools I was used to, but they would have to do.

For what seemed like the first time today, luck was with me. As expected, there was in fact a back door, one which had two locks. It took time to pick both locks, but I managed it in the end. I entered at a slow pace, watching for any alarm systems and cameras. At the sight of one, I pulled my hood forward as much as it would go. I knew I was captured on the stores security camera to be viewed once my break in and theft was discovered, so I had to be all the more careful.

Once in and with a vague sense of where the cameras were, I went to work. In case there was a silent alarm I wasn't aware of, I went from taking slow steps to fast paced ones.

As one would expect in a pawn shop, it had a little bit of everything. I headed straight for the weapon's corner. There were the hunting knifes, old, relic guns, modern guns, a bow of all things with a quiver of arrows resting beside it, and a katana hanging on the wall. I gave a grim smile at the offered selection.

Hopping over the counter, I picked open the lock for the display case, it taking only seconds to slide open. While I could take the guns, they'd be next to useless without ammo. Instead I reached for twin sheathed hunting knives, attaching them to either side of my hips, locked in place by the clip the sheaths offered. As extra precaution I slipped a small Swiss Army Knife down my bra.

I contemplated taking the katana for a fraction of a second before passing it up. Fighting with a knife? No problem. A sword? Well, that's a different story. My swordsmanship was shabby at best; it might look intimidating, but I'd sooner injure myself trying to use it then my enemy. I didn't even bother thinking about bringing the bow and arrows. If I made it back to Hoenn alive, I'd have to work on expanding my range of knowledge on weapons.

Before leaving, I did a once over of the shop, looking for anything to help me. Feeling as if I was running out of time, I grabbed a small, but powerful pair of binoculars.

Armed, I hurried to leave the store. Not bothering in closing the back door or relocking it, I ran. Before I knew it I was out of Nuvema and following my map, heading towards Plasma's base.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I was back in a tree, overlooking the building my map said my Pokemon were in. It was a decent sized building, sprawling out a good four hundred feet back and six hundred feet across. Two stories tall, I used my stolen binoculars to look for any movement outside the structure. It would have been easier in daylight, but I didn't want to wait any more than needed.

Shifting, I frowned as I just made out a shape taking slow steps towards the door. I watched as the figure passed the door, continuing on until they rounded the corner. So they were performing a patrol. I stayed where I was, waiting for the figure to reappear to gage the time it took for it to do a complete circle. From the size of the building and the pace the figure had been going, the next time a figure rounded the corner of the building, I knew there to be more than one person doing rounds. I waited another ten minutes, watching, to confirm my theory.

The patrols were roughly four minutes apart. I would have to plan my move carefully. Replacing the binoculars back into one of my many pants pocket, I shimmied down the tree, taking the time to not make noise or attract attention. When on ground once more, I crept forward.

Sticking beside trees, I froze as the next patrol passed, none the wiser to my presence. With narrowed eyes I moved after the person. I felt little pity for them as I unsheathed one knife with a steady hand, stalking up behind them to place a hand over their mouth, not giving them enough time to struggle before the knife was drawn across their unprotected throat. My jaw locked at the sound of the person drowning in their own blood, eyes hard. Refusing to allow my feelings to get in the way of my mission, I dragged the now dead Plasma member back to the tree line.

Setting them against the tree, I searched through their belongings. I tried not to look at the face, but did so anyways. A young man's face looked back at me with dead eyes, his expression frozen in a mix of surprise and pain. I looked away, throat tight. He was nothing more than a fool for joining Plasma, but I was the monster who had taken the fool's life.

Just like with the Plasma members who had tried to find me earlier today, this one had a dart gun in their possession. I took it along with the belt holding extra darts. I gave a grim smile at the sight of the ear piece and wireless radio it was attached to, along with the mouthpiece to communicate with. Now, at least, I had an idea of the movements of the other Plasma members.

Taking them for my own, I stood, ear piece in. It wouldn't take long for my kill to be noticed, so I needed to move. I hesitated before bending down, closing the dead man's eye. It was the least I could do.

I wasted no more time in turning tail and moving. As I neared the building once more, the ear piece beeped before a man's voice came on.

"Any sign of the woman?" There was another beep, signaling he was finished speaking, only for another beep to sound.

"No, sir." Another male replied.

I smirked as I looked through a window, the room behind it dark. This would do nicely.

"Keep guard and remember our intel. She is considered dangerous and possibly armed. If found, shoot," the man who had first spoke, the 'leader', commanded, tone cold.

It was quiet then, leaving me to pry open the window. I used one of the knives, wedging it between the window and the wall. I wiggled it upward, working at the latch keeping it closed. The moment I was able to pop it, my victory was ruined at the ear piece coming to life once more.

"A window on the southern side of the building has been breached. I repeat, a window on the southern side of the building has been breached. Forces are to assemble and investigate," a woman's voice droned on, repeating the entire thing once more. I was already moving by then, cursing myself for thinking it'd be so easy. With the window unlocked, I pried it open and jumped into the dark room, giving up on any illusion of stealth. I drew my other knife, branching one in each hand.

I was hoping for a quiet, in-and-out operation, but it was not to be. If they wanted a fight, I'd give them a fight. Opening the door to the hallway, I was met with two armed men coming towards me. Their looks of surprise allowed me to rush them, knives ready. By the time they came back to themselves, I was close enough to slash at one's chest, the other yelling out as he aimed his dart gun at me. I ducked under it, the tranquilized dart sailing overhead. Before he had time to regroup I dug one knife into his side, the second going into his stomach, my arms crossed. Ignoring his screams of pain I tore the two knives through his flesh, removing them only when the man collapsed on the floor, blood pooling around him at an alarming rate.

The first man, sitting with his back against the wall, held his hands against his bleeding chest. He looked at me with wide eyes, body and mind in shock. I moved a knife to my other hand, holding both at once as I raised my lifted dart gun with my now free hand. With blank eyes, blood splashed on my face and clothes, I moved on, running down the hall. The sound of running feet closing in on me urged me on. I check my map as I went, wanting to know just where I needed to head instead of running in the wrong direction. The ear piece was screaming with activity, orders being shouted and positions given. My first Plasma kill had been discovered.

The next person I encountered was a young woman. I wasted no time in shooting her with a dart, not giving her any time to raise her own dart gun at the sight of me.

I made random turns as I ran, not knowing where I was heading. At one point I ducked into a room, it being just as dark as the one I come in through, to escape an oncoming group of men and woman. As they ran past me I checked my map once more to make sure I was going in the right direction. If I could just make it to Ralts, I could have her Teleport us out of here and back to freedom.

"Rachel, codenamed Joker," a male voice spoke through the ear piece, making me freeze, eyes wide. Wha—? "I know you are listening in with the stolen radio. And as _you_ know, I currently have your Pokemon. All, of your Pokemon." My grip on my knives tightened, my jaw clenched. "You've already killed two of my men, placing another two unconscious. I'm quite tired of this game, you see, and don't feel like losing any more men to you. As such, you will give yourself up. If you chose to instead keep fighting, then, even though I don't wish to, I will be forced to find out just what happens when a Pokeball is destroyed with a Pokemon still inside it." I closed my eyes, my stomach twisting. "The choice is yours, Rachel." There was a beep, signaling he was done talking.

I was frozen, mind blank. No way. No way would someone who preached for the release of captured Pokemon _kill_ a Pokemon. There was just no way… But that's not true. It was possible. I didn't know Plasma, much less the one who spoke, well enough to call a bluff. With my back against a wall, both literally and figuratively, I was left with little choice.

With shaking hands, I returned my knives to their sheaths and brought the speaker to my mouth. Pressing the 'talk' button, I waited for the beep to sound before speaking. I could only hope I was making the right choice.

"You win," I said with no emotion, "I surrender."

May Ace forgive me.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

**This chapter has been ****Dagzar**** approved.**

_Chapter Thirteen_

I was tied to a chair, hands bound behind me. My twin hunting knives had been the first to go, followed by my Xtransceiver, my sweatshirt, my wig, and my pants. They had been sure to check everywhere for hidden weapons or devices. One of the female members had gone so far as to change my underwear. She hadn't been impressed to find the Swiss Army Knife stuffed down my bra.

So I sat, tied up, and dressed in clothes not my own. Time passed, no one coming in to see me. I couldn't judge just how much time passed, having been blindfolded right off the bat. It was not what I was expecting when surrendering to Plasma, not that I was complaining, per say. This was much better than being killed, or integrated. Integration was no doubt coming, but until then I'd reinforce my mind's will. I might have let them apprehend me, but I wasn't about to tell them anything to compromise the Deck. They could never make me betray Ace.

Ace. If only he could see me now. He had trusted me, and I let him down. I owned him so much, the man who had taken over raising me after my parent's death, yet I failed him when he counted on me the most. I deserved what was coming to me.

I heard the door open and it was with a solid resolution that I turned to face the direction of the sound. I remained still as several pairs of feet entered the room, none of which greeted me. I was stubborn in keeping my mouth shut, not planning to be the one to start conversation. Whoever had joined me seemed fine with the silence.

Without my sight to rely on, I did my best to listen as well as I could to get an idea of what was happening. There were shuffling feet, rustling paper, and then a click followed by the sound which comes from a computer being powered us. I held in a frown, the silence starting to get to me. The sound of clicking keys started, and kept going for a few minutes before pausing.

"We're ready, sir," a woman's voice said, her words clipped and cold. I turned my head in her direction. Without warning my blindfold was torn off, taking the few strands of hair caught with it. I bit my lip to keep in a wince, my eyes roaming through the room in an instant.

Five people; three men, two women. Four of the five wore matching uniforms, the Plasma crest displayed on both the front and back of their blue jackets. The fifth person, the oldest one in the room, stood out in more ways than one.

With long, pale green hair, and a red eyepiece covering his right eye, his presence commanded attention and respect. His choice of clothing was interesting, to be sure, but it did little to take away from his overall look. This was a man use to getting his way, one way or another. To be honest, he reminded me of Jack, only _more_ than Jack could ever be.

If not for growing up with Ace, and having regular visits to the Kings and Queens of the Deck, I would have been memorized by the older man. Even still I felt my eyes widen and breathe catch. Was this the leader of the Plasma's?

"Hello, Rachel," the man spoke, his voice deep and captivating. "It's nice to finally meet you face to face. My name is Ghetsis." He smiled at my continued silence. "I'm sure you understand why I could not allow you to roam Unova, yes?" Again I remained silent, my face and eyes blank. "It wasn't very nice for your 'King' and 'Queen' to send you here to steal from us." The way he said king and queen had my hackles raise, my eyes narrowing. The reaction only seemed to amuse him even more. "We're trying to free Pokemon from Trainers, and you stealing them, only to keep them captive, is not something I can allow."

"The connection is set and ready to launch, sir," the same woman from last time spoke. She sat in front of a computer screen, a much larger screen hanging on the wall above her. It flickered to life, the image blue with the Plasma crest in the center. On top of the large television sat a webcam, aimed at me and Ghetsis, the man moving to stand in front of me, blocking my view.

From behind me came one of the men, quick in gagging me. I shook my head in an attempt to keep him from doing such, but it was no use. I glared up at him with poison-filled eyes. He showed no reaction, his face hard. If Ghetsis was the leader, then it wouldn't be a surprise if these four were his top four. Or they were simply loyal to the point of doing anything the man commanded. I knew the type; it was not uncommon for some to be in every sector in the Deck. Ace, for one, had quite a few men and women willing to go so far as to kill themselves if he told them to. He never commanded such, but the sediment was there.

"Connect at your ready, sir," the woman said. From my position I could see Ghetsis nod his head, staring straight ahead at the large screen. There was the sound of static, then a growl I recognized all too well.

The Spade's Queen. They were contacting the Spade's Queen. Against my will, my eyes widened, my breathing coming faster as my body trembled. How were they able to contact my _queen_?

"And just _what_," my queen spat out, "is the meaning of this? Who are _you_ to demand my time?" He was not happy. Not happy at _all_, and if I had any guess, he wasn't going to be pleased to see me if such was Ghetsis' plan. I bowed my head, clenching my eyes shut. I was already on thin ice with my queen; our last Royal's meeting had us leaving on bad terms, and that was putting it lightly. Me failing my mission, and such a high level one, left a high chance of the ice breaking. Such would be very ill for my health in my queen's eyes.

Why did they have to contact my queen? Even my king would have been a better option. She, at least, would not let her anger get the best of her and think with a clear head. With my queen…

"My, my, I was told the queen was male, just as the king is female, but it's different to see for myself," Ghetsis said with a soothing, if not amused, tone.

"_Queen_? Who are you calling _Que_—?"

"Why you, of course, Mr. Lucas. You are the Queen of the Spade's, are you not?" Ghetsis cut off my queen, not bothering to hide him amusement anymore. From his side, my queen was silent. I could just imagine his face, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Now that I have your full attention, Sir _Queen_," Ghetsis started, his tone mocking, "I'm rather unpleased with you sending over one of your own into my region. She caused me quite a fair amount of trouble, you see, amongst my men and women. Why, her presence here, and her actions, can be seen as a threat to my own people. How am I to react to such a threat?"

I felt a small bit of pride at hearing I caused him trouble, but it didn't last long.

"I don't know what you're talking about," my queen spoke stiffly. "No one from the Spades has been sent over to Unova."

"Oh? So you deny sending one of your 'Royals'? And what if I were to say I had proof, that the one you call 'Joker', surrendered to me?" Ghetsis spread his arms out, tone light but accusing.

There was a beat's pause, and then my queen growled out, "Impossible. Joker would never betray the Spades by surrendering. She would sooner take her own life than submit to another."

"Is that so?" It was Ghetsis' turn to pause for a dramatic effect before continuing. "Then how, Sir _Queen_, do you deny this?" And then Ghetsis was moving, exposing my bound form for my queen to see. I couldn't stand to look upon my queen's stone cold face, his eyes showing his suppressed fury and disgust. I bowed my head, eyes clenched shut. If only I could speak, if only I could explain to him, but I couldn't. Even if I could, there was no reasoning with him when he looked like that.

I had seen him give that particular look to a few select others when in Court, dealing with traitors or those who had risked exposing the Deck, putting us in danger. It never ended well for them. In his eyes, I was as good as dead. My throat tightened and eyes burned, but I held in my emotions with the little strength I had left. I would not cry in front of him.

"Are you telling me, Sir _Queen_ that this young woman is not the one you call Joker? That you did not send _Rachel_ here," I flinched at the use of my first name, "to Unova to steal our Pokemon and spy on me and my men?"

I couldn't bring myself to look up at my Queen to see his face, my imagination doing a fine job on its own.

"She is _not_ my Joker."

My head did snap up then, my eyes wide. No. No, no, no! He wouldn't! No! I met his eyes, pleading him to silently to take back his words, to not say such things. To not deny me, my place in the Spades. My queen returned my begging stare with one of cold indifference. When he spoke next, I felt my eyes blur, gag muffling my protests.

"Whoever you have does not belong to the Spades. As I said before, my Joker would sooner take her own life than submit to one not a part of the Spades. Do what you will with her and leave the Spades out of it." And just like that, the connection was lost, my queen's face disappearing with one final vehemence-filled look in my direction.

I shook my head in denial, no longer able to hold in my emotions. My tears of frustration, of fear, of every negative emotion I was feeling spilled over. It was not… this could not be happening. Not to me. I was loyal; he knew I was loyal to the Spades, to the Deck! I must have misheard him, he must have been lying… this could not be happening! My queen would not abandon me, forsake me! He was not so cruel to a fellow Royal!

But he did.

Too much. It was all too much. From my blocked sobs, I hunched forward as far as I could, trying in vain to block the out the world. I dimly registered a hand resting on the top of my head, but it left soon after. I did notice a sudden prick on my arm, but it too soon left not even seconds later. All of a sudden I felt drowsy. Did they drug me? The bastards; did they not put me through enough already? I felt my consciousness slipping, my strength and power draining. Then, I was gone.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I didn't want to wake up. I knew, in the back of my mind, I was acting pathetic, but I could not bring myself to care. After the day I had, I thought I deserved a little self-pity. It's not like I would allow it long, after all.

With my eyes closed, mind and body recovering from whatever drug I was given, I could pretend this never happened. I pictured myself back in my apartment, on my bed, with Ralts curled up beside me, my other Pokemon safe. I could pretend I was not left to Plasma by my own queen, thought a traitor by the one I served. It pained me the most to know if my queen had his way, everyone else in the Deck, Ace included, would think the same of me. I could live if my queen hated me; I was used to such from him, but not Ace. Not the ones who relied on me to lead and teach them.

No matter how hard I wished for none of this to be real, I knew I would have to face reality soon enough. It hurt now, and no doubt would for some time, but I would keep going. I had to.

When I came to accept such, I twitched my body, trying to get a feel for my new situation without alerting anyone I was awake. I was no longer bound to a chair, but instead tied down to what felt like a bed. The padding was rather thick, surprising me. The blindfold was removed, as was the gag. If not for the straps on my wrists and ankles, I would have had a hard time believing I was in Plasma custody.

Part of me wanted to know why they just didn't kill me and be done with it, but another part thanked whoever was watching over me for the chance to think of a way to escape.

My planning was cut short at the sound of a door opening. I continued to feign sleep, my ears wide open to catch the smallest of noises. As it turned out, I did not need to strain myself to hear, as those now inside the room with me made no attempt to lower their voices.

"I thought she was supposed to be awake by now. Did they give her too much?" A male's voice; young, uncertain.

"Nah, she'll wake up." Another male; also young, but uninterested. Something hard nudged my head, pushing it to the side. I lolled my head, still acting as if under the drug. "Heh, this is who we have to be careful of? Doesn't look all that strong." A snicker. "I bet I could take her scrawny ass, no problem."

"Yeah, right," the first boy mumbled, unimpressed. "You can't even take down your sparring partner who's a year younger than you. How are _you_ supposed to take down someone who killed two men, sent one to the hospital, and took down another?"

"Bitch was lucky, that's all," the second boy said, his tone now the one uncertain. "Besides, we got these."

The first boy gave a snort. "So did the ones she took down and killed. Dart guns won't save us if she gets loose."

"Well, she not going to _get_ loose, now is she?" The young boy countered hotly. "No matter how strong she is, there's no way in hell she can break out of those restraints." There was a tap at the restrain holding back my right wrist. "Damian said so, so there's nothing to worry 'bout."

"If you say so," the first boy said, his tone wary.

I was about to 'wake up', until what they said next caught my attention.

"What are they even going to do with her, anyways?" the first boy continued.

There was a rustle of clothes, in which I pictured the boy shrugging, and then the second boy spoke. "Who knows? Not like _we're_ going to be told anything important." It was clear he was not pleased by this. I could just hear his scowl.

I waited another minute to see if they would say anything of importance, but they were silent. With this as good of time as any, I moved my arms and gave a grunt. I heard the two boy's move at my 'awakening', but pretended not to as I continued to 'wake up'. I tugged at my restraints, my eyes opening.

I blinked at the sight of a white ceiling, and then turned my head to the side to look at my two guards. I gave them a lazy stare, sizing them up. I was right about them being young. Still looking to be in their teens, both boys returned my stare with caution-filled eyes, one going so far as to raise his dart gun.

"They send two wet behind the ears boys to watch over me?" I gave a snort, looking away from them. "I feel rather insulted." I hid a smirk as one of them, the one not aiming his dark gun at me, bristled at the comment. Teenage boys are so easy to figure out.

"What did you say, you little bi—!" He was cut off by the door opening once again, both boys standing to attention with sloppy salutes. I gave a tsk, unimpressed by them. My mood changed, though, at seeing just who now entered my little room.

Blue-Eyes nodded at the two younger boys, the two dropping their salutes and standing back, letting the man access to me. I gave him a faked pleased look. "Well, hello there, again. Been a while, hasn't it?"

He returned my feigned look of pleasure with one of his own, head tilted forward in form of greeting. "Yes, it does seem that way. If I knew who you were upon our first meeting, I wouldn't have left you behind, I can assure you."

I gave him a nod of mock seriousness. "Don't worry; it's a common mistake of identity from my part. I am a highly sought after woman, after all. Can't just have _anyone_ know who I am." I gave a sniff, nose upturned.

His blue eyes twinkled. "So you are, my dear Joker." He gave a cruel grin. "Oh, I'm sorry; I suppose I shouldn't call you 'Joker' anymore, should I? After all, according to the Spade's Queen, you're not their Joker."

I held in a flinch at the shallow dig. The bastard. Instead, I smiled at him. If it was just as cruel around the edges as his own, he made no comment. I changed the subject. "So, just what is it you all want from little old me? As you said, I'm not the Spade's Joker." It hurt to say it out loud, but it needed to be done. The sooner I could accept what happened, the sooner I could move on and work on getting back to Hoenn. Ace would know what to do. If he would even listen to me.

"Not anymore, no, but we both know you _were_," Blue-Eyes drawled out, grinning at my tight smile. "Don't worry, though, Lord Ghetsis does not need you for information concerning the Spade's."

I frowned, making no pretense to hide my confusion. If they did not want me for information, than what _did_ they want me for?

"You're quite lucky to be alive; have you wondered about that, hmm?" He paused, as if waiting for me to answer, but I remained quiet. My silence did little to faze him. "You, my dear, have a friend in a very high position. If not for him, you would not have woken up."

I gave a snort. "Oh? If he's such a good friend, do I get to know just who he is? Or are you going to leave me in suspense?"

His lips curled into a smirk. "Only for a little bit. Don't worry, though. After talking to Lord Ghetsis, he's on his way here now for you. Quite protective, I must say," Blue-Eyes mused, moving to walk around the bed I was restrained on. "When he found out what that Queen of yours did, he called right up to negotiate with Lord Ghetsis. And Lord Ghetsis, being the generous man that he is, not only listened, but agreed." He grinned, blue eyes gleaming.

I furrowed my brow. Just who did I know high up enough to find out so soon about my situation, and have enough power to negotiate with Ghetsis? My mind went immediately to Ace, but I did not want to get my hopes up for the man coming to rescue me like some damsel in distress.

Then again, if I could not be classified as a damsel in distress, then someone needed to put a better description to the term.

In the end, when Blue-Eyes left, the two guards staying behind, I did not know whether to be excited, or nervous, about the impending meeting with my savior.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

During my wait, I was hand-fed by one of my guards, the other being sure to keep his dart gun aimed at me if I so much as twitched wrong. It felt demeaning, but I was not about to reject food. Food meant energy. Energy meant a better chance of fighting if need be, or escape if given the chance.

After Blue-Eyes came to visit, neither of my 'guards' were up to talking. I didn't mind. It made the passing of time longer, not being able to get into a heated debate with one of them over something inconsequential, but I found other ways to amuse myself. My 'guards' might not have agreed, but their opinion meant little to me. Their red faces made talking about how to please a woman in bed made it all the worth wild _and_ they learned something important. A win-win!

"—so, you have to remember that while some like to be licked, some don't. It's always good to ask beforehand, but don't be put off if they say no; they just might not have had it done to them before, you know, and the area _is_ a rather sensitive area for us girls—"

The youngest of the two, the one who I had previously classified as boy one, gave up any sense of control and buried his bright red face in his hands, groaning. I smirked as I continued lecturing, the second boy stubborn in appearing unaffected, but the body of a teenage boy had a mind of its own. The front of his pants was sporting a bugle that had him shifting every few seconds, his face just as red as the first boy's.

"—don't be afraid to go slow; it might take you a little bit longer to get off, but it really does make the moment more special for a girl's first time, you know? Oh, and—!" I was cut off by the door opening, much to my disappointment and the boy's thankful. I was expecting Blue-Eyes again, or maybe Ghetsis himself, but the man who did come through the door had me freeze, eyes wide.

At his gentle look and relieved smile, I felt tears come to my eyes, a real smile overtaking my face. I fought against my restraints for the first time, wanting nothing more than to hug the man as he walked closer to me, looking just as I last saw him. I stilled as he reached me, bending down as he rested a hand on my head. He allowed me to bury my head into his chest as much as I could, the man leaning over to hug me something fierce. Someone had come up beside us, releasing my wrist binding. Once free, I threw my arms around Ace, clinging onto him for dear life. There was no denying my tears now.

"You silly, silly, girl," he whispered, voice horse.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," I mumbled into his chest, it becoming my broken mantra. Ace tightened his hold of me. "You came, you really came. Was so scared you wouldn't come, would be with the queen."

He was rubbing my hair now, making soothing noises in an attempt to calm me. I knew it how it must have looked to whoever else was in the room; a grown woman crying her eyes out, clinging to an older man, near panic, but I could not bring myself to care. Not in the least.

Ace had come for me, had negotiated for my life, had gone against our _queen_ for me. He was here, and at the moment, my life could have come to an end, but I would have greeted the afterlife with a smile. I was no longer alone.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen_

It took ten minutes for me to calm down enough to hold a proper conversation. The entire time I had refused to unlatch from Ace. I did not hold onto him as tightly as when he first arrived, but I did keep a hand wrapped around his arm, a silent reminder he was real and with me.

My two guards stayed with us, but neither Ace nor I paid them any mind. As far as I was concerned they could take what we said back to Ghetsis and I would not care as long as Ace was with me.

I had missed my adopted-father like figure, a fact I made no attempt to hide from anyone in the room. All I needed to make my world semi-normal again were my Pokemon.

We both sat on the bed in the room, side-by-side, our legs crossed. Time passed in silence, Ace giving my time to stop my small trembles, but I knew it could not last. I was proven right, Ace speaking in a low voice.

"Things can't go back to how they were."

I closed my eyes, my grip on his arm tightening briefly before relaxing. "I know."

"The Queen is already looking for your replacement."

Hearing such hurt, but did not surprise me. I gave a jerky nod.

Ace hesitated, then, but continued speaking. "Plasma plans on retaliating against the Spades for your actions, and have asked for our help. It was one of their demands for your life. I agreed."

My eyes flew open and I released Ace's arm as if burned. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I was too shocked to think properly. Why? Why would he agreed to go against the Spades for my life?

Not at all perturbed by my actions Ace gave a sigh, looking far older than his true age. His eyes were weary, but showed no further weakness.

"You know as well as I do, Rachel, that _all_ the King's and Queen's are old. They're no longer in their thirties as when they first created the Deck. For forty year's they've been the ones to rule the Deck, and none want to give that power up, no matter their age or health problems." His expression had hardened, his words true. It was a well kept secret among the Royals' of the Club's King being terminally ill, only kept alive by a mix of sheer stubbornness and team of highly train and personal doctors.

"So?" I questioned Ace, my voice shaking against my will. "Just because they're getting _old_ doesn't mean—"

"Rachel," Ace cut me off and by habit I shut my mouth with a click. "I did not agree to go against the Spades' solely because the King and Queen are old. True, its part of the reason, but do not think me so shallow and foolish for it to be the only reason."

I had to look away from Ace, ashamed for thinking anything less of him.

He reached out for my hand, grasping it with both of his own. I met his eyes, my mind a mess. When he next spoke it was more of a whisper.

"Just like you are the second Joker of the Spades, I am the second Ace. Besides the Kings' and Queen's, no one else in the Deck has been with us since the beginning." He squeezed my hand when I began to look away from him. "No one can stay in power for over forty years and not become affected, Rachel. For twenty years of being Ace I've watched them give into their power, loosing themselves and their original ideals in the process. Can you honestly tell me that in the ten years you've been with us, you haven't noticed as well?"

"I…"

"Think, Rachel! Use that smart brain of yours and _remember_ these past ten years. The Spade's Queen alone is proof enough on his own, but he is not the only of the eight to give into the temptation of power. They are using us as nothing more than a means to gather even more wealth and powerful Pokemon to be used as they see fit, no matter the consequences. They all should have stepped down years ago, just as the past Ace's, Jack's, and Joker's have done, yet refuse as they would then no longer be in control of the Deck to do with what they will. They need to step down, even if against their will, Rachel! For the protection of not just the Spades, but the entire Deck."

I shook my head in denial and tried to withdraw my hand, but Ace would not let go. As much as I hated him for what he was saying, for even _proposing_ to go against the Spades, the _Deck_, my mind did as he asked and thought back on the past ten years. As he spoke little snippets came to mind, half forgotten memories which had me questioning the King and Queen.

How the King stopped asking about those injured during missions, or began sending those with lesser experience on higher leveled missions, only to become angered if they failed. Memories of the Queen becoming colder as time passed; becoming harsher, bitter towards those younger than him, and less forgiving to even Royals.

Ace speaking broke me from my thoughts. "They're destroying the Deck, Rachel." His tone was solemn, his hands once more squeezing mine. "If we don't stop them, don't remove them from power, then they will destroy everything we're worked to protect from the inside. Please, Rachel, you have to understand that I'm doing this _for_ the Spades, not _against_ them. The deck is my life, just as it is yours, which is why I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save them. Tell me you are as well."

"I…I…Ace, I…" I was so confused, not knowing what to believe. This was _Ace_, after all, the one man who I respected above all in the Deck, but to go against the Spades, the Deck… My head hurt. I closed my eyes, my tremors starting back up again as a war waged itself within my mind, one side in favor of Ace, another in favor of the Spades.

"Rachel," Ace whispered, voice pleading, "please. I can't do this without you. I can't _save_ them without you."

I opened my eyes, mouth opening and closing without sound coming out as I tried to think of a way to respond. I took a deep breath, attempted to calm myself, and then in a fit of uncertainty, nodded. I did not know if I was making the right choice, but I did know I trusted Ace with my life. I was brought up to be loyal to the Deck, but I was also brought up to be loyal to Ace, and if siding with Ace to take down the Spades' King and Queen meant saving the rest of the Spades, then so be it.

"I'll continue to follow you, Ace." My voice sounded broken to my own ears, but I could not bring forth the energy to fix such. I gladly welcomed Ace's hug, eyes falling shut once more, the day's events taking its toll on my mind and body.

Yes. I would follow Ace, as I've always done. He was the only one I could truly trust. Together, we would save the Deck, even if it meant taking down the Kings and Queens.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ace left after that, going to see Ghetsis to confirm my involvement. I was transferred to a different, more comfortable room, my guards leaving me to settle in. I did not bother to look around the large room, not honestly caring. Instead I shuffled to the large bed, wanting nothing more than to sleep, escaping reality if only for a few hours.

I thought about trying to find some clean clothes, or at the very least track down a shower, but I put both off for a later point. Crawling up onto the soft bed I slipped beneath the comforter, finding sleep in minutes.

It felt like I was only asleep for a few minutes before I was jolted awake, a weight having been dropped on my back. Before I could twist around to dislodge whatever was on my back there was a cry of joy I recognized. Eyes now fully open and bright awake I turned my head to look at my Ralts, said Pokemon the one to wake me.

"Ralts!" I cried out in surprise, my Pokemon moving for me to twist and sit up. I wasted no time in pulling her into my arms, holding her against my chest for a tight hug. She returned it just as fiercely. A nudge at my side had me focusing on Kecleon, Castform and Banette floating behind him, past them being Flygon. "Guys," I mumbled out, opening my arms wide enough for them to join the hug as well. It was crowded, but we all made it work.

"I'm glad I was able to talk Ghetsis into giving you your team back."

I looked up to where Ace's voice came from, the older man standing a few feet from the door. I gave him a strained smile, not liking the reminder on our current situation. My Pokemon moved to surround me on my bed; or in Flygon's case, beside my bed, head resting on the mattress.

"You got a new Pokemon I see," Ace said as he motioned down at his feet. His attempt to lighten the mood was not lost on me, and I decided to play along for as long as we both could. Sitting up more I was able to see Sandile lying at Ace's feet. My Pokemon met my gaze with a lazy blink.

I smiled, it less forced. "Yeah. He's a good addition to the team."

There was a pause then, one I used to stand from the bed. Ralts was clinging to my back, Kecleon moving to follow at my side. Castform and Banette floated on either side of me, Flygon staying where he was.

As always, Ace was the one to break the silence.

"We're heading back to Hoenn tomorrow, so be ready for that."

I perked up at the thought of returning home, eyes wide and smile growing. Ace's face had my excitement drop.

"We're back to going to recruit from the Spades. There are others who will want to be a part of this, especially since we're backing it."

"I…see." And I did. Between Ace and I, there would no doubt be at least a good handful of men and women willing to side with us, with Plasma, to take down the King and Queen. It would make sense to go back and get them; the more on our side, the better chance we had in winning.

But even though my planner, war-ready side of me understood the need for as many men and women as possible, my Joker side revolted away from the thought of making others betray the Deck as well. Was it betrayal, though, if we were doing it to help them? Not everyone would see it as such, and they were going to be the ones I would have to face on the battlefield. The thought made my chest ache.

"We'll be leaving at ten in the morning. I've been told to let you know to feel free to use anything in this room." He nodded to an area behind me. "You can find a bathroom through that door, and there should be clothes for you to wear in the dresser."

"Thank you." I hesitated, and then moved to hug him. He returned it with a sigh.

"I know it's hard now, Rachel, but give it time. We're doing the right thing; I know it. You trust me, don't you?" His voice was soothing, calm. I relaxed at the sound of it and nodded against his chest. "Then let me take care of Ghetsis. All you have to worry about is leading the men and women."

I looked up at him, giving a slow blink. He responded to my thoughts without me having to voice them.

"Of course you're going to be one of the one's leading. It didn't take long to convince Ghetsis of your skill after explain your involvement with taking down the Rockets." Ace patted the top of my head, gently pushing me away from him. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep now. I'm in the room next to you if you need anything, okay?"

I nodded, taking a step back. Ace fondly ruffled my hair and with one last smile, left the room.

The rest of the night was spent exploring the room, taking shower, and raiding the closet. I had Sharpedo in the rather large bathtub, the rest of my Pokemon following in my footsteps. It did not take long to locate my previously confiscated bag, all of my belongings still within it. I would have to ask Ace what he wanted to do with the stolen Pokemon later. When I could no longer distract myself, my mind began to wonder to the upcoming fight. Despite me agreeing to side with Ace, and in turn Plasma, a part of me was screaming in denial and anguish for the knowledge of what was to come.

No matter how Ace phrased it, I would soon be forced to raise a gun against those I had been raised by, or had a hand in raising. _It's for the good of the deck_ had become my new mantra, the words repeated over and over again whenever any uncertainty tried to taint my resolve. I could not afford to question myself now; I could not question Ace. He had never steered me or the Deck wrong in the past, and he would not now.

He was looking out for the best interest of the Deck. He had to be.

Come half past eight a knock on the door had me jumping to my feet and rushing the door, hoping it to be Ace. Opening the door my smile dropped at the sight of Blue-Eyes, Ralts moving to peek over my shoulder to look at who caused my drop in emotions.

Blue-Eyes raised an eyebrow at the sight of Ralts, but did not comment on her, or my other Pokemon who were looking around me to stare down the young man. "Breakfast," was all he said before he turned on his heels and headed down the hall. I scowled down after him. Shaking my head and forcing back my negative emotions for Ralts sake I turned my head to face a majority of my Pokemon.

"You heard the pretty boy; breakfast."

It was a…_interesting_ affair, having breakfast with Plasma members, people who swore to break Pokemon from the command of 'mere humans'. After my breakdown yesterday, I was once more in control of my emotions, Ace's and my Pokémon's presence being two of the leading factors for such recovery. I brushed off the accusing glares and sneers, having commandeered an entire table for me and my Pokémon's use. I controlled my urge to show them all just why they should not bother me or my Pokemon, knowing Ace would be less than amused to find me antagonizing our new 'allies'.

If Banette occasionally slipped away to, ahem, 'play', with some of the more vocal members, well… I made no friends during breakfast. If nothing else, come time for me to lead some of them against the Spade's, it would be an even more interesting experience.

Ace found me a little after nine, it being time for us to leave. Through the use of Plasma's psychic Pokemon (once again showing just how hypocritical they are) we arrived at Mistralton City well before our plane was scheduled to take off. It was much easier to get on the plane this time around with Plasma's backing, Ace and I sitting up in first class, as well as Blue-Eyes and two other Plasma members, much to my disgruntlement. They were there to make sure Ace and I stuck to our bargain, on orders to report in every six hours by phone. I returned Blue-Eyes' sly grin and wink as he sat down ahead of me with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

As we waited for the plane to take off Ace took the time to explain with careful words that Ghetsis would begin sending more members over once we arrived and settled in, our attack not planned to start for a couple more weeks at the most. Since Ace had already called ahead to a trusted member of his division, upon arriving in Hoenn we would be heading straight to one meeting, two meetings planned. One for Ace, one for me.

I still was not sure on just _what_ I was going to say to the men and woman in my division to get them to join in our fight against the Queen and King. I was hoping to get an idea from standing in on Ace's, the man always knowing the right thing to say.

Much too soon was the plane landing. Once off the plane and out of the airport I took a deep breath. There were mixed emotions in being back in Hoenn, the should be feelings of joy and peace taken by the appearance of the man I knew to be Ace's second in command. He did not recognize us in our get ups, both Ace and I having donned wigs and colored contacts before leaving Unova, looking like a father-daughter pair with friends.

We approached Ace's second, Rick, with the three Plasma members trailing behind us at a short distance. It took only a second for Rick to confirm who we were once Ace began speaking, after which he released three psychic Pokemon to travel by. With six of us present, we paired up to where a Plasma member was with a Deck member. Before Blue-Eyes had the chance to do more than look in my direction I had latched onto one of the other, older Plasma members, the man jerking back at the sudden contact but offered no complaints. As one we all teleported, leaving the Rustboro airport for the inside of an empty living room. With the windows covered by thick curtains it was impossible to tell where we were.

In an instant I let go of the unnamed Plasma member (something I would have to fix) and moved to stand once more beside Ace, Rick returning the Pokemon. Ace glanced down at me with a nod and a reassuring smile, Rick moving to stand on Ace's other side.

As always, Ace broke the silence. "I do believe we have a meeting to get to."

I took a deep breath and nodded, as ready as I would ever be.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Fifteen_

We were in Sootopolis, the meeting being held in an older base the Spades had stopped using years ago in the middle of the city. It was not the biggest base, but it suited our needs. If Ace had planned on calling _all_ of the members of his division then we'd have a problem room wise, but since he was only meeting with his most trusted and more experienced, it cut the number from two hundred and fifty something (not quite sure just how many people he had under him) to forty.

While still a good amount of people, it could have been worse.

As one would expect from Ace we were the first to arrive, greeting the members as they came. A great deal of them were surprised by my presence, wanting answers on if what the Queen said was true or not. Ace promised to give them their answers once the meeting began. It appeased them, though I caught more than one of them eyeing me with distrust.

Such looks caused a tight pain in my chest, the thought of them being so quick to write me off hurting more than I thought it would. If my chest hurt this much when receiving looks of doubt from Ace's men and women, then I did not know how I would fare when faced with such looks from my own division.

With my emotions forcefully locked down, Ralts assisting by keeping most at bay, I stood a step behind Ace to his right, hands clasped behind me and legs a shoulder width apart. I was, by all accounts, in Royalty mode. Rick and his three psychic Pokemon, two Alakazams and a Xatu, stood on the other side of Ace, the Pokemon on standby for if things got ugly. The three Plasma members all stood side by side behind me, Blue-Eyes leaning against the wall with his arms crossed between the other two. Through Ralts I was able to tell he and the other two members were uncomfortable to be virtually surrounded by Spade members who were not yet loyal.

I fought a smirk at the change of our positions. Let's see how much he liked being in a potential hostile situation.

Ace was in a similar stance to my own, those he was not nearly as tense as I. As the last members arrived the room fell silent, all starting at Ace expectantly. Ace did a sweep of the room before beginning to speak, his voice low and calm. This was the side of him that rarely saw the light of day, but when shown, could put Jack to shame with his ease of persuasion and smooth talking.

"I must thank you all for coming, for being willing to hear what I have to say. What I need to discuss with everyone here concerns not just Joker here," he nodded in my direction, causing most to glance at me before turning back to Ace, "but the Spades, and in turn the Deck, as a whole." He paused, allowing for the quite mummers for a time before raising his hand for silence once more. "If the Queen is to be believed, then Joker here should already be dead by the hands of the enemy, having first given information about the Deck to be used against us."

Through Ralts' help I did not show my pain at the sight of some sending me looks of betrayal.

"I should not have to tell everyone here that what the Queen says is false, as Rachel's presence alone should be enough to prove." He motioned towards me. "As you can all see, she is not dead. Does that not make you question if what else you were told by the Queen was the truth or not? And do you all not know Rachel well enough through past encounters and mission that she is the least likely person to tell anyone, much less a potential enemy, our secrets?"

Some shifted where they stood or sat, others who had been giving me dirty looks looked away at Ace's words. And then there were others who were nodding to what Ace said; the ones who had greeted me with a relieved smile as they arrived. The pain in my chest lessened at the sight. When the time came, I wanted to go against the least amount of Spades members as possible, and seeing so many agreeing with Ace reassured me. There was the hope I would not have to face them on the opposite side.

"And now, if you will allow me, I shall tell you all what really happened, something you will not hear from the Queen." Ace waited a second for anyone to speak up, but as expected, none did. "Our esteemed Queen, the one we all are lead to trust with our life when needed, abandoned Joker _when_ she needed him the most. She was left her to her captors, the Queen calling her a disgrace for being taken prisoner despite killing three of those after her and taking down another two during the struggle. She," he pointed a finger at me, his voice hardening, "a Royal, the _Joker_, was left for dead because she was caught in a foreign land she was sent into _by_ the Queen _without_ backup." Ace gave another sweep of the room. I could just picture the look on his face.

"And what's more, the King allowed all of this to happen. She did nothing to stop the Queen, or contact Plasma to help Rachel. All she did was have me begin the search for a new Joker and allow the Queen to tell the rest of you his spin on the story to not make anyone question his decision. Now, what I ask of you all is this: if the Queen and King are willing to do to someone they consider close to their level of power, someone they know are looked up and have lead an entire division, then what about the everyone else? What about you?"

For once the dark and uncertain looks on the member's faces were not directed at me. Ace kept quiet, allowing those present to take in what he said and talk amongst themselves. Not only did his words seem to have an impact on his division members, but on me as well. I closed my eyes, my resolve strengthening. From her position on my back Ralts cooed into my ear, sending me a wave of comfort. With a blank face I sent her my thanks for not just the calming effect but for agreeing with my decision. I would need my Pokémon's help soon enough so knowing they all understood and sided with me was a relief on its own.

Movement caught my eye, one of the older members under Ace standing. While I didn't know all of those under Ace, I did make sure to know all the high level members, all those _8_ and above, and the man commanding attention was a _10_ number wise. I also knew he had been with the Spades for nearly as long as Ace. Now, he was giving Ace a hard look, lips pursed.

When he spoke, his voice was rough, colored with his distrust for his division leader. "Just what are you trying to say, Ace?"

The two men started one another down, neither willing to be the first to look away, to submit. After a tension filled minute Ace bowed his head just the slightest. When he spoke, unlike Ralph's, Ace's voice was soft and weary.

"What I'm trying to say, Ralph, is that the King and Queen can no longer be left in charge of the Spades."

And just like that the room erupted into a frenzy of disagreement and anger. Few remained quiet, taking Ace's words with a carefully blank face.

And through all the chaos Ralph remained where he was, locked in a stare down once more with Ace. I did not need Ace to tell me he was going to cause a problem.

Ralts made a noise of pain, the strong negative emotions of anger and rage having an effect on her. I looked to Ace for confirmation, a grunt on his half, before having Ralts send a blasting wave of calm through the masses. Since there were so many people the calming effect did not last long, but it did calm everyone down for Ace to speak.

"If everyone will return to where they were I will be more than happy to discuss this with you all as the humans we are, not the Pokemon we keep."

Under the soothing effect brought on by Ralts, those who had stood complied with a smile. The moment everyone was seated Ralts brought back in her powers, weakened from the emotion control on such a wide scale level. Not for the first time I wished Ralts would allow herself to evolve to better grasp her powers, but knew better to not bring up the debate at this point in time.

The instant the members were released some made to stand again, their faces red, anger back and increased. Ace held up his hands in a pleading gesture, quietly asking for just a little more of their patience. For one tense second I was ready for them to not listen to Ace. My muscles loosened, ready to move in an instant if need be, but the forty men and women before me complied with Ace.

Doing such did not keep their livid and mistrusting looks at bay, which in turn kept both my mind and body on red alert, but it was something.

"I cannot fault most of you for thinking I wish to betray the Spades, since it is true to a certain aspect. Yes, I want to overthrow the King and Queen. I do _not_, however, wish for anyone else's death if it can be helped. It is not the Spades, or even the Deck, that I want to eradicate, but the people doing us harm from _within_." Ace paused here, looking over the men and women before him, his tone both convincing and earnest.

At my mental prodding Ralts keyed me into the feelings of those sitting before us. Their emotions were a mix and if not for Ralts sorting and making them easier to read from one another I would have been lost and overwhelmed. As things stood I could make out uncertainty, fear, anger, curiosity, calmness, and all those emotion's variations. Those angry and fearful by far outnumbered those undecided and calm.

Ace speaking brought my attention away from Ralts and back to him. "Would you all not band together to fight an outside force that threatened us? So why not _now_, when against a much more formidable force?" He stopped then, letting them all think over his question.

When Ralph stood the room quieted. Despite all the attention, his sole focus was Ace. "For twenty years I've been with the Spades, just as you have. During my time I've witnessed and participated in many violent, often bloody events I'd have rather not have, but I did it for the betterment of the Deck." The look he gave Ace made my stomach drop. "It is true what you say about the King and Queen. I've also noticed their change over time, but there is one thing you are forgetting Sir _Ace_," Ralph drawled the name with a mocking tinge. "Even if changed from who they once were, the King and Queen are _still_ our _King and Queen_!" He roared out the last part, making a good amount of those present jump in surprise.

"It is not within our position to question the Kings and Queens! We have to believe what they decide is for the better of the Deck, even if it means the sacrifice of one! For over forty years they have dedicated their lives to us, and now you want to create a…a…" he floundered for the correct words, his face red in anger, "an coup d'état?"

Ralph took a deep breath, his eyes drilling holes into Ace. When he next spoke, it was nothing more than a whisper which was heard by all in the otherwise silent room. "I don't know if you have forgotten over the years, _Ace_, but when joining the Deck, the _Spades_, we swore our loyalty to the Kings and Queens, no matter who they may be or how they act as they live to protect us." Ralph shook his head sadly. "I won't have any part of this. _I_ still remember where my loyalty lies. If you have any sense, you will remember as well."

I could not help but close my eyes in pain, his words making the resistant side of my mind howl in agreement. For not the first time I questioned if what I was doing was indeed the right choice or not. I opened them when Ace spoke, his tone disappointed.

"That is…unfortunate, Ralph, but I, too, understand where you are coming from. You would have made a good general for us." Ace shook his head. "You know you will not be able to leave with these memories, correct?"

Ralph gave a jerky nod. "I suspected as much," he muttered, looking over Rick and his psychic Pokemon with a rueful look. Erik, in turn, withdrew a slim metal headband from the small drawstring bag he had brought with him, a device I knew to erase one's memories through the power of a psychic Pokemon. Ralph made no attempt to fight what was to come; none of the members present carried Pokemon on them. We made sure of such before even starting the meeting.

"Are there any others who agree with Ralph?" Ace questioned the remaining thirty-nine members. It did not take long for a great deal of them to stand, some looking at Ace and I in defiance, others not able to meet Ace's gaze. Either way, there were only nine of the forty willing to side with Ace.

As Ace commanded for the psychic Pokemon present to unleash a wide-spread Hypnosis, I took a shaky breath, allowing my own uncertainty to peak through as all forty of the men and women fell over in a deep sleep. If Ace, _Ace_, was only able to convince _nine_ of his highest ranking and most trusted, then I did not want to think how I would fare when faced with my own division.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

We were no longer in Sootopolis, but instead on Wailmer Island. It was of decent size, and after dealing with the sole man who lived on it, Ace claimed it to be our new base of commands. With the many whirlpools surrounding the island, we did not have to worry about any ships sailing by and catching sight of something they should not see, leaving just those foolish enough to fly overhead. Even then with the thick foliage offered by the mass of trees, if precautions were taken we would have little to worry from them.

Construction began right away, Rick having gone to retrieve more Pokemon to help construct buildings. Since we would have the majority of those going against the Spades living here for the next few months, there would need to be enough housing for them all. Food and water would be of little problems, as well as the various materials we would need. Between Plasma, Ace, and I, there was enough money and Pokemon to go around for such items.

I released all of my Pokemon, having Sharpedo scope out the surrounding water for any potential problems. He was more than happy to, finally being back in the ocean. I sent Banette to explore the island, Castform to give us overcast weather but _no_ rain, Kecleon and Flygon to help in building, and Ralts with Rick to help bring back more supplies.

As Ace began the blueprints for the buildings, I helped in clearing out the area as best I could. I threw myself into the project, using it as a means to temporally forget about my impending meeting with my division.

It was slow going at first, but once Rick returned with a virtual army of Pokemon to help, the process sped up to incredible rates.

It was not uncommon for us to construct buildings, though I was never on such a team, so the Pokemon Rick had brought back clearly knew what they were doing. In an hour and a half foundation was set and the skeleton of a building was standing. It was not anything awe-worthy, being a one story building, but it was a start. Ace planned for twelve such structures spread out a decent amount from one another; four sleeping quarters, one bathing house, two eating areas, three training buildings, one which would feature as the 'office', and the last building being for storage.

We worked clear through the day, resting only for water and food. The Plasma members who accompanied us were dragged into helping, much to Blue-Eye's disgruntlement. With the rest of Plasma coming in a few days time we needed to complete as many buildings as fast as possible, and Ace told the three as much which finally had them working just as hard as the rest of us.

Before I knew it night was falling. One of the sleeping houses was complete, as well as one of the training buildings; at least, the walls, roof, doors, and windows were all in place. The insides were still bare, but that could not be helped for the moment.

The Pokemon were fed and then returned, Rick taking them back to where he got them. It was helpful, having him with us. Since he had not publicly left the Spades as Ace had done, he was still thought to be working with them, just as the nine who had agreed to side with us.

For the time being, their memories were kept stored deep within their minds, ready to be called upon when we were ready for them to join us. The others, those who had refused, had their memories erased and replaced with a preselected one based on the person. If nothing else, Ace made sure to leave behind no loose ends. All of them were left with the seeds of distrust of the King and Queen. For some, like Ralph, they would have little effect, but for others, they just might take root and bloom, ready for us to pick them when the time came.

When it came to those in Ace's division who blindly followed him and _only_ him, no matter what he asked of them, they were going to be brought in over time one by one to be brief on the situation. They would be the ones acting as the spies as Rick was not high-leveled enough to get into certain areas or be told important information.

And then, just like that, it was time for me to meet with my division.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Back in Sootopolis, in the same building as before, I waited for the first of the twenty five to arrive. Compared to how Ace had acted before his own meeting, I was a nervous wreck. Well, not really; not with Ralts there to keep my emotions in check, anyways, but I was as close as I was going to get to being a nervous wreck.

I just about jumped as Aced laid a hand on the top of my head. He offered a comforting smile, one which I returned with a half-forced smile.

"It's going to be okay, Rachel," he said softly, hand stroking my hair as if I were a Pokemon. "Just be yourself and tell them what happened. They'll understand."

I bit back the remark that wanted to come out, the words 'like your division?' being swallowed thickly. Instead, I nodded.

"The first one is here," Rick said, one of the three Alakazams resting a hand on his arm, eyes glowing blue.

I took a deep breath, calming my nerves the best I could. No big deal; I just had to convince some of the most loyal members of the Spades to side with Ace and I, overthrowing the King and Queen. I blocked out Ralph's earlier words and suppressed the side howling at me that this was all wrong, what I was doing went against everything I was brought up to believe. My hands began to tremble, so I stuffed them within my jean pockets. Taking one more deep breath I relaxed my facial muscles, smoothing out my furrowed brow and replacing my frown with an easy going smile.

I had a part to play right now, and I would be damned if I failed. I would make Ace proud, even if it killed me.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The moment the twenty-five in front of me fell into a deep, Hypnosis induced, slumber, my shoulders sagged and head fell forward, hair sliding past my shoulders to shield my face. I have faced down blood-thirsty Rocket members, a rampaging flock of Dodrios, and a furious Queen, but nothing compared to facing part of my division tonight.

Ralts sent soothing feelings through our link, but it did little to dull the hurt and sorrow I was feeling at the moment. Not even Ralts could block out these powerful emotions.

Of the twenty-five members, only four chose to stand with me and Ace. The rest had not been afraid to hold back their thought on the matter, some speaking like Ralph, while others said in not-so-polite wording what Ace and I could go do.

Ace rested a hand on my shoulder, gave it a squeeze, and then released me to help Rick without a word.

Deep breaths were not helping, not this time. The words of the men and women working under me occupied my thoughts, refusing to be blocked out and ignored. The one which stood out the most, surprisingly enough, was not from one who had refused, but from Steven(**1**). He was the captain of the team I had last promoted, a _10_. He had agreed to join Ace and I, but his words and calm eyes right before the psychic Pokemon used Hypnosis haunted me.

'_I will follow you in this, Rachel, but not because I think this is the right action, but because _you_ believe so strongly in what you're doing. I trust you, just as my team trusts you, to do what is best for us.'_

My hands covered my face, eyes scrunched shut. Did I truly deserve such loyalty from a man easily five years my senior? Did I really warrant him to hold such a firm belief in me to be doing what was right for the Spades when I still had moments of doubt?

Steven did not agree with my choice, yet was willing to follow me, along with the other three. It was not _Ace_ they looked to and chose to follow, but _me_, thinking I knew what I was doing when in reality I was just following whatever Ace said and did. I always knew when agreeing to Ace what would happen once the fighting started, but it was only just starting to _really_ sink in what the future might hold for us.

It was no longer just myself I had to worry about in the coming battles, but three men and a woman as well. They were different from Plasma members, nameless faces who were extra bodies to help in the fights. _These_ men and woman were from _my_ division, they were _my_ people, people who _trusted_ me to protect them and do what was best for them, yet I was leading them in a revolt against their fellow members.

And all because Ace asked me to, and I said yes.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**1:** If any of you forgot who Steven is, as it has been a while, then you can go back to chapter two for a little refresher.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Sixteen: _**Interlude**

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The Plasma members were beginning to arrive. With them came Pokemon, technology, notes, materials, and more. With their help the remaining buildings went up at an incredible speed, our combined Pokemon working day in and day out alongside the carpenters.

By the end of the week all twelve buildings were furnished, rooms were given, and a schedule was made. Despite Ace's urging of learning as many faces and names as possible, they were all one blur to me. Some stuck out, of course, but unless standing right in front of me, they were as faceless as the rest of the members.

As more and more arrived over the next following week, even those few who had stood out became nothing more than warm bodies willing and ready to kill the men and women I grew up with.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

As Ace had said, I was one of those in charge of not just leading, but teaching. Since I was a local to the land I was left with the task of giving lectures on Hoenn's native Pokemon, names of cities and towns, who our Gym Leaders and Elite Four were, and anything else of importance.

I had drawn the line at giving up sensitive information on the members of the Spades, leaving Ace to cover that particular subject.

It was slow going at first, trying to teach such large masses at once, but after two weeks we all fell into a routine.

Going through the motions. It was all about going through the motions. Little else started to matter.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It was not just verbal learning the Plasma members went through, but physical training as well. Those who did not know were taught how to fire a gun; the more experienced learned to wield a wider variety of firearms.

At Ace's command, I took up the sniper rifle.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Blue-Eyes always seems to always be by my side, even though I would rather he not.

Whenever I'm at the outdoor shooting range, he's there at my side, challenging me to who will shoot the best shot. He sits in on my classes, even when he's not scheduled to. When I go in to have my morning and evening meal, he's there, sitting at my table and talking about anything and everything. The only time I seem to be away from him now is at night.

I do not notice when I stop trying to avoid him and start getting use to him until I find myself missing his presence when he's gone a day at Ghetsis' demand. When he returns, he is surprised but pleased when I'm the one to strike up conversation for once.

I refused to call him a friend; or, at least, that's what I like to tell myself.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ace told us we were going to have the starting advantage in many ways, just one being the initial surprise attack on central headquarters.

Another was Unova's native Pokemon, the members of the Spades knowing next to nothing about them. All of their Pokemon, along with our own, were put through rigorous training. When not teaching, I helped oversee the Pokemon as they fought one another to gain experience or worked on improving their stats.

My own Pokemon were ordered to participate, Ace and Ghetsis wanting the 'Colonel's' Pokemon to be in peak fighting condition. There were four other Colonels beside myself, all Plasma. It had taken Ralts beating one of their chosen Pokemon each into unconsciousness for them to accept me into their ranks, no longer seen as a former Spade, but an honorable Plasma member.

I felt filthy at their 'kind' words of acceptance.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

At the three month mark we began bringing in Spade members.

We had to kill one when he had tried to attack Ghetsis. None of the others have tried something similar.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Steven and Blue-Eyes do not like one another.

Steven was not pleased to regain his memories and seek me out only to find me relaxing in the dining hall with Blue-Eyes. Blue-Eyes in turn did not like it when I left him to spend the rest of the day with Steven, using the time to fill one another in on the past three months.

In the end, I could care less what Blue-Eyes liked or did not like; between the two Steven would always come first.

Steven had smiled when I told him so.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I was beginning to questioning myself at the end of each day more and more, dark circles forming from my growing lack of sleep due to increasing nightmares. Only through makeup was I able to conceal them, leaving just my Pokemon to know of their presence. I brushed off their concerns, now not a time where I could afford to listen.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I continued to tell myself I was doing the right thing, just as I told the slow trickle of Spade members, but the words no longer had the same reassuring effect they once had. There were not a whole lot of Spade members, about thirty-seven, but each one who did come to our side I cared for the best I could. I made sure to go out of my way for them, giving them anything they might need.

When a faceless Plasma member had tried to bully a younger Spade member, one who I knew to be from Ace's division, I broke his nose and threatened the placement of his testicles if he ever so much as looked at another Spade member the wrong way again.

Ghetsis had been furious. Ace, disappointed. When I told both of them my first reaction had been to fire a bullet through the accusing Plasma member's head, they had let me off with a warning to better control myself.

I briefly gave thought to the question of why they had not punished me more severely as the others who had done something similar or worse.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Plasma members and Spade members were separated from then on unless for training and lectures.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Both Steven and Blue-Eyes had begun to notice my growing depression, but neither question me when I reassure them it's nothing, that I'm just tired from all the preparation and training.

Inside I am screaming for one of them to help me, tell me what I was doing was right, but cannot bring myself to ask for it out loud.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Slipping, slipping, I could feel myself slipping deeper and deeper into madness… I was losing my mind in the fight against myself.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Steven cornered me away from Blue-Eyes before shooting practice, quietly asking me if I still thought this was still what I wanted. It was not too late, he had said, to leave Ace, telling the King and Queen of his plans.

I vaguely remember staring at him with my now dead eyes and shaking my head. I pretend to not understand why he looked pained as he nodded in understanding.

I had to turn away when he softly promised that no matter what, he would protect me in the coming battle.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Seven months. For seven months we have trained, prepared, and planned.

Next week, we attack.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**: Sorry this took so long to get up. This was my first war-like scene, so it took a little to figure out. If anyone cares for a background song, I found listening to _This is War_ and _Search and Destroy_ by 30 Seconds to Mars created a nice effect.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as I don't plan on there being many left of this story after.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Pokemon besides for a few of the games.

_Chapter Seventeen_

It was the night before the planned attack. All of those who could be present came for the feast Ghetsis and Ace had prepared and brought in. Almost none of the Spade members showed up as it was very rare for them to stay longer for a day at a time. It would not due for their change in sides to be discovered, after all.

I sat in the front of the room at the table meant for the 'Generals' and 'Colonels'. The seven of us made up the leading forces for the assembled men and women, Ace and Ghetsis being the Generals. The other four, my fellow Colonels, were all men older than me, the youngest of them being in his late twenties, the oldest in his forties.

Scott was the one closest to my age, his hair blond and cut short, eyes a soft green. Before I would consider him attractive; now his good looks flew over the top of my head, sparking no interest. Edward came next, age wise, followed by Wes and Kevin. The three of them were similar in looks, all with varying shades of brown hair, cut the same length as Scott. Their clothing was likewise similar, being dressed in Plasma colors.

No matter our difference in ages, all were as solemn as I, the five of us watching the antics of the men and women with either distaste or pity as our two Generals talked. Unlike a good amount of the members, we Colonels knew what this feast really was for. We had all been to one in the past for one reason or another.

It was no feast; it was a last meal.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Early the next morning the troops were awoken and readied. Packs were handed out, guns passed around, orders given, and breakfast eaten without much taste, a stark contrast to last night's dinner. It seemed as if the thought of going into a battle where they might be faced with death was starting to hit home for those who had not yet realized. For the others, those who had been preparing themselves mentally for however many months, weeks, or days from when such a realization had hit, were as calm as they were able to get.

Last night's cheer and all around good mood was gone, replaced by a jittery one.

I could only hope the additional buildings made to be hospitals for both people and Pokemon alike would be enough to deal with the wounded that would no doubt come. Even with the surprise advantage, I knew the Spades were not about to take the attack lying down.

Beside me stood Flygon, my proud Pokemon looking over the last minute preparations with a critical eye; he was more than ready to be back in the air. Ralts was on my back, my little Pokémon's face buried between my shoulder blades. I tried to send her waves of comfort, but it did little to help either of us. She was worried about the coming attack and I could not bring myself to be. The rest of my Pokemon were secured on my belt, ready to be called in for attack.

Across from me I saw Ace nod his head, face grim yet determined. With a nod in response I turned away, one hand placing the speaker in my ear and the microphone to the collar of my top. I pushed back my slow rising distaste for wearing Plasma colors in favor of giving orders to my division.

"Air-born division, to me. Be prepared to leave in five minutes." As I spoke moved to climb onto Flygon's back, the half dragon, half ground-type wasting no time bringing his wings to life. The soft hum they made was a much better background noise than the shouting and running happening around me. "I repeat: air-born division to me. We leave in five minutes."

As practiced, my division assembled in under a minute at out designed meeting place. For the time being, I was the only one with my Pokemon out. Looking over the fifty men and women standing before me in five rows of ten, I gave them a hard look. Half of them had their chosen version of the sniper rifle slung across their backs, ammo at their side. The sizes of the different firearms made moving and turning awkward, but with our arrangement in the attack it would not matter once we set to work. The rest of them, myself included, carried variations of handguns, multiple clips ready to be used as backup ammo.

I was not one to give emotional speeches, especially since joining forces with Plasma, but I knew I had to say something to them. I waited for them all to arrive before opening my mouth to speak, not wanting to repeat myself.

"You all know what we need to do, so don't mess up and try not to die. Remember your targeted area and don't stray off your given task. Got it?"

At their sharp replies of 'Yes, Ma'am' I nodded in acceptance and squeezed my thighs together, my signal for Flygon to take to the air. With me in the air, row by row released their own flying Pokemon, mounted them, and joined me. Once everyone was back into place, I let Ralts cling to my chest and held onto Flygon and squeezed my thighs once more. He flew forward, towards our destination of Dewford, and in our wake flew Braviarys, Archeops, and Hydreigons. So high up in the air, our presence went undetected. By the time people knew of us, it would be too late.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Half of my division and I hovered amongst the clouds, waiting for the signal to begin the first strike. The other half was situated around the surrounding area, sniper rifles at the ready.

It was an unusual place for the Spades to have their central command, but it was so unusual no one would think to suspect it as the home to the King and Queen, along with most of their division. The base was hidden away to such an extent not even the people of Dewford knew of their presence. Beneath the otherwise nice, one story, unsuspecting house on the opposite side of the island of Dewford was level after level of interknit tunnels sprawled over the land with discrete ventilation shafts built in for fresh air.

Now, however, their seclusion would be part of their downfall. So far away from the mainland, it would be difficult for help to arrive in time to stop us. By the time reinforcements did arrive, and if everything went to plan, the King and Queen, along with those in their division who tried to oppose us, would be dead. The tunnels which had once protected them would become their tomb.

I had fought tooth and nail with Ace on the matter of killing anyone not the King and Queen. They were, after all, just following orders, and I could not in good conscience kill them for doing what I could not. It had been one of the only items I had truly opposed in Ace's plan, having followed all of his other orders without (much) question. For months I had argued, and for months Ace had held his position. For a while, it had been all which raised any strong emotions out of me, though not for the better.

It was a safety risk, he would say, to allow them to live. They were too deeply loyal to the King and Queen, he would explain, to follow the future King and Queen of the Spades. Finally, with only a month to go before the planned attack, we reached a compromise.

If they did not surrender, they would have to die. If they tried to flee by sky, sea, or foot, they would have to be shot down to keep from getting help. If they did surrender, then their life would be spared and they would be brought in for psychic evaluation.

I do not like the terms, but it was all Ace was willing to give up outside of killing them all.

"Power has been cut," a voice I knew to be my 'second' sounded through my ear piece, the man situated next to the one of the island's power plant, ready to pick off anyone who tried to restore power.

I responded in an instant. "Prepare Hyper Beams and release on my command. Put on protective ear wear." As so many around me I pulled forth the bulky earmuffs and slipped them over my ears. They blocked out all sound expect for that of the small ear bud.

Flygon did not need to be told twice, already preparing his attack. I waited the needed half a minute for maximum charge before ordering the release of the devastating move, heart heavy.

"Now!" I barked into the microphone. Flygon broke cloud coverage along with every other Plasma member in the air. In near perfect synchronicity the twenty five other Pokemon let loose their Hyper Beams, aimed down at the ground below us.

As I watched the chaos unfold below me I tried not to think of how many deaths I had just caused, the soft grass covered ground caving into the built tunnels, burying countless men and women I no doubt knew at least in passing under tons of dirt, rock, metal, and everything else stored on those particular levels. With now practiced ease I blocked out the screaming voice in the no-longer-back of my head and focused on the present. As the Hyper Beams began letting up, I spoke once more through the microphone as our Pokemon began to descend.

"Air-assault was a success." I looked once more down at the devastation below me. The sole house remained standing only through planning, along with key areas which would need to be left intact for our next attack. Smoke bellowed up towards us, the burning grass, shrubs, and surrounding trees picking up in their intensity. "At least three levels caved in. Snipers are at the ready. Flying Pokemon reaching touchdown to recharge. Okay for ground arrival."

I tuned out the voice of Edward, the one in charge of bringing over the ground assault via psychic Pokemon and to intercept any fleeing or incoming psychic Pokemon the Spades might try to use, the King and Queen in particular. Wes was the one leading the ground assault division, his division being the largest. Kevin patrolled the open water surrounding the island, Scott left with being in charge of crowd control of Dewford and the ones to knock out power for both the town and the Spades. Blue-Eyes was with Scott, acting as his second. Ace and Ghetsis both stayed on the small island we had claimed as our home base, ready to meet any of our wounded and give out orders if the situation were to change with a good amount of doctors and nurses.

'_Cowards,'_ the screaming voice was able to get through before I could block it out once more, the word making a corner of my lips twitch in disagreement. They were not…_cowards_…for not being here; they were the leaders of the attack. As such, it was safest for them to stay behind where they were best protected from being injured or killed. Without them, this attack would not have happened.

Without them, this attack would not have happened…

The sight of appearing men and woman ahead of and around me had me locking away those dangerous thoughts, bringing my eyes back into focus as I tuned back into the voices speaking over the shared frequency.

"First and second wave, advance. Third wave, release your Pokemon and set a parameter." Wes's voice was harsh, the man himself amongst the moving. We shared eye contact before he moved on. Steven, too, was present, along with the other members of my division from the Spades, only a select few having been given different assignments. It no longer mattered if their presence was missed by the Spades. "Fourth and fifth, prepare to act as backup."

I never tired of watching people move in such perfect synch, their shared actions captivating in their own right. For one brief moment I could pretend this was all just a game, not a matter of life and death. The delusion was shattered by one of the men from Edward's division reporting their progress.

"The first level is all but destroyed; no sign of human life as of yet. We are proceeding to the second level if possible."

After a crackle of static Wes spoke. "Keep moving with weapons at the ready."

Not for the first time since being told my role in the attack I felt the strong itch-like sensation to join search team. Just the thought of jumping off Flygon and moving to accompany Steven had my fingers and leg muscles twitching. I silently cursed Ace for assigning me to the air, Plasma members moving all around me to keep me in my place despite my 'ranking' as Colonel at Ghetsis' order. I had to force myself to give the command to take back to the air; our Pokemon were recharged enough to take control of the skies once more.

From my new position I had to settle for listening to the feedback coming in from those doing the main portion of the assault. Those in the air and I were done role wise, having to stay up here in case of the off chance of being needed for one reason or another. Spade members trying to come in through use of flying-types being one such reason.

"No bodies have been discovered on the second level; now moving to the third level."

No bodies? Again? By some stroke of luck was no one on the first _or_ second level when we attacked? There was no way that could be right; even on a calm day there were guards for the King and Queen posted on each level.

"They're most likely buried," Wes responded, killing any shred of hope I had left that for some ungodly reason no one had been on guard duty this morning. I knew how unlikely it was for the first two, never mind three, levels to be unoccupied, but the thought of not directly killing any Spade members was too good to pass up.

"Third level is clear of signs of life, damage lessening."

"Forth level is stable and undamaged. First wave advancing." There was a pause, then at a softer tone, "Fist sign of life ahead. Permission to engage?" If he was asking for permission, then they had not been spotted yet.

I was only mildly surprised to hear Ghetsis respond instead of Wes. "Permission granted. If they are armed, do not hesitate to shoot."

I gritted my teeth, hands curling into balls. My emotions were choosing a horrible time to reappear. With my sleep depraved mind they were all the more dangerous. My anger, for instance, got the best of me as it flared at Ghetsis' change of order for confronting Spade members.

"That is not what we agreed upon, _Sir_!" I snapped into the microphone, my words having those closest to me look at me with varying looks of exasperation and caution. Most of the Plasma members had heard of my actions to save the Spade members and the fights it had caused with Ace. To them it was foolish to try in saving the enemy. I gave them no heed then and I gave them none now.

"Leave it alone, Colonel," Ace responded for Ghetsis, his tone unforgiving. "If they are armed we cannot risk the safety of our members."

My body trembled with my suppressed temper, nails digging into my hands.

'_Again, _again_, the man you follow _lied_ to you,'_ the voice spat, back with a vengeance. I could not concentrate hard enough to block it out, the poisoned words leaking through, taking over. _'He gives them no chance to surrender. Plasma is allowed to shot first and question later! He no longer cares for the Spades! All he wants is to rule them, to become the new tyrant! He can't be trusted!'_

"I _said_, am I understood, Colonel Rachel?" Ace barked, making me flinch forward.

"I understand, Sir," I said, voice carefully blank once more. My anger bled out of me, the loss leaving me cold as the tension in my body lessened enough for me to unclench my hands. I gave a slow blink, still not responding to the warning looks of those around me. _I_ was the division leader, damn it; like hell was I going to let them intimidate me. Only a little bit longer; only a little bit longer and I no longer had to deal with Plasma.

Ralts cooed into my ear and pushed forward feelings of love and comfort to fill my empty soul. Flygon returned to his old self long enough to turn his head around on his long neck and nuzzle my own head. My hands still shook as I moved to rub Flygon's head, but it could not be helped.

I silently thanked my Pokemon before forcing myself to focus on the battle raging below me. How I was able to block out the noise was beyond me, but now that I was aware of it, I could not hear anything but.

"We're being hit!" A woman's voice screamed over the speaker, the faint sound of gunfire able to be distinguished from the background. "Five—now six—of our team has been hit! Forth level is covered in—!" She gave a pained scream, than nothing.

My eyes were wide as I leaned forward in a pitiful attempt to see more. What…what was happening down there?

I was not the only to wonder such, as not even a second later was Wes giving out orders. "Report! What's happening? How many are on the forth level?"

A crackle of static, a heavy pause, then, "The-there's too many to count! We were ambushed! Oh god, they just _keep coming_!" The man who responded was near hysteria, other's screaming and gunfire in the background.

Ambushed? There was no way they could have been ambushed! It would mean there was a leak, and if such was the case, none of our plans were safe.

Wes was yelling out commands, words I just barely registered as my mind spun in all the different possibilities this entailed.

If there was a leak, and our plans were known, then the Spades would have been ready for the attack. Depending on how much time they had to prepare, then there being no bodies found on the first three levels would be because there _were no bodies_ there to begin with.

'_Yes,'_ the voice purred, for once not screaming, _'it would be a _good_ thing for there to be a leak, wouldn't it? Less chance of a Spade's death…'_

"Rachel, I need you and your division down there _now_!" Ace commanded, "Edward, get as many of the wounded out as you and your division can! Ground assault teams four and five, head in and protect the psychic division! All Pokemon are acceptable if the situation calls for them!"

As I called for those in the air with me to descend I wondered briefly why Wes was no longer calling out orders, but thought no more on the fate of my fellow Colonel once Flygon touched the cracked and scared earth. As I waited the few seconds it took for the rest of my chosen division to land along side me, the voice spoke once more. Since it was not screaming, I did not think to block out it's words. They sounded like honey, the sweetness of the coo near sickening.

'_Are you happy you got your wish? To be down on the battlefield instead above it? What are you going to do when faced with Spade members firing at you?'_

I had no answer for the voice, it's words shaking me mentally.

At the questioning looks of those before me I pretended I was not, in fact, being reduced to a shaking mess by a voice only I could hear. Faking was a wonderful thing if done correctly. Lucky me for having years of experience. I removed the blocky ear muffs, letting them hang around my neck. The action prompted the rest of my team to follow in my lead.

"If any of you have small Pokemon suitable for battle, use them," I started, releasing Kecleon, Banette, and Castform as both an example by small and to inform them of the situation while the twenty-five men and women released their own Pokemon. We had to be fast.

My tone was soft, but all of my Pokemon present, Ralts included, paid attention. Their months of hard training were going to be put to the test. "We were ambushed; our people are being overpowered. You are to disarm and knock out anyone not in Plasma colors. Only use excessive force if you are threatened." I turned towards Flygon. "I need you to stay out here and keep an eye on things. If you need to, find someone else to work with." My massive Pokemon nodded once in acceptance, taking to the sky once more with his humming wings.

With my Pokemon prepped and set, I turned my attention back to my division. With guns and Pokemon at the ready, they made quite the sight. I tilted my head just an inch as I could not help but think they were nothing compared to the men and women I fought alongside with against the Rockets even if impressive looking.

I spared a brief second to run my eyes over the Pokemon out, mentally categorizing them into groups and if they would be a hindrance or not. They were not all as small as I would have liked, especially the Bisharp, but they would have to do. Ghetsis' aversion of using Pokemon for fighting, which in turn resulted in him members carrying very few of them, never irritated me as much as it did now.

"Good. Now follow me." I turned on my heels, my Pokemon running alongside, then ahead, once they understood where I was heading. It did not take even ten seconds to reach the sole building, the door still open from the first and second ground team's use.

With my Pokemon going ahead as scouts, Ralts staying with me for the time being, I entered the building housing one of the Spade's largest bases with as much confidence I could fake. Even faked confidence did wonders for those depending on one for guidance. With the sounds of their brethren dying in their ears, any unsavory feelings they might have held for me was pushed aside in their desperate need for survival. To be honest, I was surprised none of them had tried to flee yet.

I gave most of them until the sight of their bloodied and dead friends for them to realize what they had gotten themselves into before their fight or flight instincts really kicked in. There was nothing like facing one's impending death to get their adrenal glands pumping in overtime.

In single file we made our way through the tacky decorated house to the basement door, none of them speaking in the apprehensive atmosphere. My fingers twitched around my semi-automatic, wanting to turn off the speaker in my ear. Even if I did not particularly care for most of Plasma, especially compared to the Spade members who were on our side, I was still with them and it affected me to hear their pleas for help and reinforcements as much as I would like to say it did not.

I told myself it did not matter if my thoughts on Ace were less than pleasant more often than not; I still followed him as I knew no other way. Despite how he was acting now, I knew I could count on him to have, if nothing else, my best interest at heart. And right now, he wanted me to go and save as many Plasma members as I could, so I would.

The trek down was silent, the stairs thankfully still intact, but I had to pause at the sight of an unconscious and unknown Spade member sprawled out on the landing of the third level, the rise and fall of his chest being the only indication he was still alive. Banette was hovering over the young man, no sign of weapon in sight. With a thick swallow I gave my Pokemon a nod in approval then nudged the unconscious man aside as to not hit him at opening the door, Banette already gone to knock out more enemies.

If he was any indication, then fellow Spade members were not far behind if not already dealt with by my Pokemon.

I sent a silent look towards the people who followed me, most still on the stairs. Those who could were looking at me; their feelings were clear. They had been trained to fight in the air, not on the ground. I knew the training they did receive for this situation would not be enough.

A clench of pity hit my heart without warning as I looked at their panicked faces, none older than twenty-five. They were too young to face what was beyond this door; I was too, for that matter, but my innocence had been stolen from me a long time ago with the death of my parents and admittance into the Spades.

With a reassuring smile on my lips, as fake as my confidence, I turned back to the door separating me from having to face my demons. I did not allow myself to stall any longer, opening the door wide enough for both Kecleon and Castform to fit through, waited ten seconds, then opened it the rest of the way. As I moved I felt a wave of determination roll over me. Ralts' tightened grip told me it was her doing, and if the way the men and women behind me no longer moved with jerky motions then I was not the only one affected by the boost in moral.

The added moral wavered at the sight that greeted us. With blood on the floor and walls, bullet holes and empty cases littering the hall, and the sound of gunfire and yelling further ahead, the only thing missing to add to the grizzly scene was the source of the blood.

I had to give it to Edward and his team; they moved fast in getting the wounded and dead out.

Even after making through the confrontation with the Rockets, it had been a while since I had last seen a similar sight. I gave a second's pause before snapping into action, my training coming out full force. Now would be the worst time to freeze or hesitate. With sure movements I stepped around the various pools of blood, giving a silent motion for those behind me to follow. Ralts gave another burst of determination, it enough to get the shocked men and women moving again. They followed my steps and before I knew it, we were in the middle of it all.

It was the worst possible place to hold a gun fight, much less a Pokemon battle. The quarters were cramped, the halls not nearly wide enough to hold us all, and the bullets flying, hitting either flesh or plaster. Both sides had casualties, Plasma taking the brunt of them. Beside the hall, multiple rooms had been opened, be it by door or hole in the wall. I sent a good chunk of my men and women in to help keep hold of the rooms Plasma had claimed, the rest in as extra man power against the barrage down the hall.

As things stood, Plasma was at one end of the hall, Spade members at the other end; a good thirty feet was between us. On our end there were groups on either side of the opening, members occasionally leaning over the corner to fire off a few rounds. No one was foolish enough to make a go for the other side by sprinting down the open hall, the distance too far to reach without the high chance of being shot down by the opposing side. The openings made in the walls led to the adjourning area where members were trying to fight their way to the Spades room by room, being met every inch of the way by counter attacks led by Spade members and Pokemon.

Edward was already there, along with a few people from his division. Their Pokemon, the leading force of their power, were fazing in and out, taking our wounded with them as they went. The more powerful psychics were throwing up barriers or sending out attacks. They were doing anything and everything within their ability to help cover for their brethren as they worked. My own Pokemon were nowhere in sight.

I caught Edward's eye. He nodded at me before going back to giving out his orders, a Beheeyem at his side.

"Status," I ordered, not caring who responded as long as someone answered.

"Spades have their own psychic Pokemon out and fighting, along with bug, ghost, and dark-types. We have been unable to breach their hold as such with our psychic Pokemon. Our numbers are fading fast and hard." I did not recognize the voice, not that such really mattered.

I gave a tsk at the types of Pokemon the Spades were using; they were ready for our psychic Pokemon and all of their own were the best types in fighting them. There was no way around it; we had a leak. Our 'surprise attack' was never a surprise. If nothing else, we were the ones who fell for the trap.

With gun in clenched hands I looked over the carnage with calculating eyes. If we kept at this, we would be the losers if nothing was done to change the tide of the battle. It was no understatement to say we were not as prepared as we thought we were. We did not have nearly enough people or Pokemon to continue up with this; if we did continue, we would all be dead or as good as.

No. We needed to retreat, regroup, and recover.

I called the order.

"Fall back! Retreat, now! Find a psychic Pokemon and teleport back to base! Now!"

Those around me looked at with wide eyes, most hesitant yet hopeful. Retreat had not been an option previously planned for; Ghetsis had been too sure of himself to think we would need a plan for retreat and Ace had not bothered to go against him to make one.

Before my order could be followed, Ghetsis was counter ordering me.

"You are not to retreat, Colonel! You will stay and fight, do you hear me?"

My eyes flashed, my anger slithering its way back into being. Only Ghetsis could bring out his part in me these days.

"If we stay to fight, there will be no one left _to_ fight, or have you not noticed the incoming wounded? Half our forces are _gone, Sir,_ and we keep losing more in attempts to fight back. It would be suicide to stay!" I snarled, tired of having to deal with this man. The fact he was one of my 'Generals' only served to further irate me.

"Come back here before the King and Queen are killed and _you_ will be killed in their place, Colonel! Am I clear?" Ghetsis hissed back, his threat no bluff.

I spoke without really thinking on my words, my mind too focused on ending this bloodbath and saving as many lives as possible. Whose lives I wanted to save was unknown to me, a part of me thinking it to be my current division while another part knew it to be the Spade members. I did not even try to deny it at this point. There was no point in lying to myself any longer, no now.

"If my death means the lives of _my_ men and women, then so be it, _Sir_," I replied and giving him no time to reply as I once more ordered the retreat.

Then Edward was before me, his face hard. I stared assertively back at him, silently daring him to do anything against me. We both ignored the shouting of Ghetsis. He was loyal to Ghetsis just as I was to Ace, but he knew what I spoke to be the truth. I would have been more surprised to find he did not share my thoughts on the matter. After a long second, Edward nodded. We shared a humorless smile as my fellow Colonel repeated the order to retreat, ordering his division to start bring the rest of those with us back to the base.

Instead of dealing with Ghetsis' voice in my ear I ripped the small ear bud out, throwing it to the ground with a satisfying flick of my wrist. With now only the sound of gun fire and cries to be heard, I turned my attention to Ralts. She eyed me with caution, knowing what I wanted from her.

"Help in bringing the others back; I need to wait for the others." There was no way I was going to leave the rest of my Pokemon behind. They were out there on my order, fighting at my command. I would not secure my own safety without knowing they were safe as well.

Ralts sent her feelings of displeasure and worry through. I held fast through it, not giving in as I normally would. She might not like it, but I knew she was powerful enough to take more than one person at once, not something everyone of the psychic Pokemon could do.

"Go on; you can come back to me once everyone is out or when they come back." I dislodged my reluctant Pokemon, handing her off to the surprised man behind me. He took hold of Ralts with clumsy hands, gun hastily placed back within his holster. Ralts glared at me, sent out a strong mental call to the rest of my Pokemon to let them know I needed them, then was gone with the bewildered Plasma member.

Pleased for a split second, I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. Without Ralts on my back I felt exposed. The bullets still being fired at us by the Spades felt all the more real, as weird as the feeling was. I counted my lucky stars for not having been hit by one of them, and prayed to not being hit anytime soon.

Edward and Ralts moved fast, the multiple psychic-types coming and going at a blinding speed, taking with them anyone in Plasma colors. I was starting to get impatient, wanting my three Pokemon to return to me so I could also leave. I feared what might happen when the last of the Plasma members left and if my Pokemon had not yet returned to me. I would have no way to defend myself other than my gun, but it was something I did not want to have to use.

By the sounds of it, the Spade members had caught onto the Plasma's retreat, the bullets being fired lessening until there was nothing. I remained pressed up against the wall, near the corner of the hall with gun in hand, finger not on the trigger. I kept my breathing even by some miracle, hands steady.

Damn it, where were they? It should not take them this long to find me again.

Then, it was just me left. Not even a second later was Ralts back, teleporting in and latching onto my front with a death grip. No, it was never just me.

Not wanting to speak out loud, I sent the image of Flygon to Ralts with a questioning feel. She sent back the image of him flying back towards the direction of base, the rest of my division with him. Good.

The sound of footsteps had me tensing. I flexed my fingers around my gun, taking comfort in Ralts' presence. I tilted my head to the side when I could only make out one set of footsteps, not the dozens I was expecting. This was so far from being right I did not know what to think except _where are my damn Pokemon_.

Ralts tightened her hold on me, and then relaxed. I felt her anxiousness become curiosity. She looked up at me, pushing the image of a young man who had been under my command when I was the Joker to the forefront of my mind. He was the one walking down the hall towards us, and if Ralts was to be believed (and I did), then he was of no harm. For the moment, at least, so I was not about to drop my guard with the naïve thought of him not trying to kill me later for my betrayal.

As he neared the corner I raised my gun and pointed at chest level, ready for him to come into sight. My finger was still not on the trigger, but it was an easy fix if need be. If Mark was as good as when I left him, then he would notice the fact. If he did not, well. I could figure out how to cross the bridge when I came to it.

He came into sight then, dressed to the nines in protective wear, armed with a powerful automatic rifle. Unlike me, he did not have it at the ready, but hanging by the gun's strap at his side. He came to a frozen stop at the sight of my gun aimed at him, but a quick glance at the position of my finger had him giving me a grim smile. In his hand was a large thick yellow envelope.

"It's been some time, Joker," he said, tone as light as he could make it given the situation.

"Mark," I said politely, head tilting just the slightest in greeting. He shifted his stance, trying to appear more at ease and less threatening. His movement had me catch sight of his new rank, the capital white _J_ standing out against the black clothing. I stared blankly at it for a second and then met Mark's eyes once more. "Or should _I_ be the one calling you Joker?"

Mark shifted again, this time in discomfort. "They needed a replacement; I just happened to fit the bill at the time." He shrugged. "I have to say, though, that after playing you, I have a whole new level of respect for the position."

I gave a mock of a smile. "Being a royal has that effect, yes." I eyed the envelope, eyebrow raised. "But that's not what you came to tell me, is it?"

He frowned and shook his head. Without a word he handed me the thick packet. I eyed it with caution, but Ralts' prompting had me accepting it with my free hand.

"Why give me this?" I murmured in question, turning the package over to look for any writing. It was blank, there not so much as an ink smudge.

"It's from the King. She thought you might like to know what Ace isn't telling you." He shifted with a frown. "Our…informant…was very adamant about your role in this attack. Since he told the King of Ace's plan in return for yours and the Spade's safety, she agreed to give you one last chance." Mark gave a helpless shrug. "The Queen said you would know what to do once you read through it all," he motioned toward the yellow envelope.

I stared down at the packet with furrowed brows and a small scowl. If the informant went to the King to save myself and the Spade's, then they had to be one of the former (or not so former) Spade members. None of the Plasma members would have any reason to do such a thing, after all.

I turned my attention back to Mark, suspect in mind. If the informant was who I think it is, then we had some things to talk about once I returned.

"Is this all?" I asked Mark.

He nodded. Mark took a step back, preparing to turn away from me, but hesitated. "I hope whatever is in there," he looked at the packet in my hand, "helps you, Joker." He met my eyes, gave another grim smile, and then was gone from my sight.

I was left feeling more confused than I had in months, gun in one hand and a large envelope in the other.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


End file.
